End of Eternity
by Inanis Scriptor
Summary: Set two years after the events of Advent Children. Cloud has been having recurring dreams of events past and present with the unmistakable ex-General. Why was the supposed dead-man so intent on staying whole? M/M  Sephiroth x Cloud, Rufus x Cloud!  WiP!
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: *insert professional-sounding disclaimer here*

*cough*

I'm simply FANFICTIONing. If I did own them, Cloud would be one insanely miserable sex slave puppet for good ol' Sephiroth and I'd thoroughly enjoy every millisecond of it whilst apologizing to Cloud for the unfair, crude, sexual treatments.

Prologue

"I will… never be a memory."

Cloud kept his face and mind blank as he stared up at the man wrapped in his own black, one wing. The vast darkness that had enveloped The Planet was now lifting fast, revealing the bright sky – a stark contrast to just seconds ago when his enemy had the upper hand. The dissembled swords plummeted from the sky with smoky, trailing blue lights and drove easily into the metal flooring, surrounding him like a rain of shrapnel. First Ken's red hilt landed powerfully in his readied hand.

Black feathers drifted aloft one by one as if plucked by an imaginary draft to uncover the young, silver-haired remnant who remained afloat for a short moment before dropping from on high. Cloud caught the misguided youth and laid him before Cloud.

_Yes, once upon a time, I was also a puppet,_ Cloud inwardly agreed as the sudden downpour of healing rain dripped down his face and pelted onto Kadaj's. _Like me, your importance was only a stepping stone._

"M… mother?" Kadaj's eyes wandered searchingly.

As if seeing someone, he reached toward the sky. The curative rain was now literally disintegrating him into nothing, starting from the tips of his outstretched hand. Cloud remained silent. It was depressing to watch another person yearn for a sense of belonging and desire to be cherished. They were emotions he was well acquainted with. His heart squeezed tightly for a brief second before he stood. Kadaj had vanished into nothing. The rain water felt cool and refreshing as it pelted the blood off his cheeks.

_Aeris… _

He could feel her presence in each drop of rain. They were telling him that he had done a good job and everything was going to be all right from there on. The thought of her usual cheerful self brought a faint smile to his lips before a thunderous clap jerked his body forward and stole him from the serene reverie. His chest hurt. Cloud whirled around to find the other two remnants, materia stacked in their arms and fighting to remain materialized, guns raised.

"Let us… all go together…" Yazoo struggled alongside Loz.

_It's me, or them. Now, or never. Sephiroth, or the world._ Cloud tightened his grip on First Ken and charged the two men. He lept furiously toward the two and their guns went off. He swiped his blade cleanly across both bullets, splitting them into halves. The brothers were now clearly at a disadvantage, not having anticipated Cloud's reaction and had lowered their guards. Both blinked tiredly as Cloud cut horizontally through both. Their bodies swayed like liquid water when the blade sliced through, then like Kadaj, dispersed. The ammunition exploded around them, and Cloud found himself melting away with the brothers, falling into one last peaceful haze. He imagined that if Aeris hadn't sent the rain which had called the remnants home, he would have been done for.

_But what difference would it have made? I'm done in, regardless. I'm tired. And weak. And dying would be the rest I long for._

A warm and loving feeling touched his forehead. Relief and the feel of unconditional love flooded his senses. The large imaginary boulders he had been carrying on his shoulders felt magically lifted. It felt like… home. He parted his lips.

"Mother…?"

"Again? Why is everyone calling me 'mother' lately?"

"I guess they must be fond of you."

"This one's a little too big to adopt."

"Tough luck, friend. Sounds like you don't belong here."

The sound of water rippling from afar gradually became louder and the faint sound of children playing drifted into his ears. Cloud blinked his eyes wide. Several of Edge's children were looking onto him with their hands placed gently over his sides. Feeling slightly abashed, Cloud allowed his drifting log-like form to stand upright in the waist high waters of the slum church. Familiar voices carried over and he spun around to find his friends cheering from the sidelines as children danced and played around the water. He took small steps toward Denzel and brought him down into the water gently, cupping two hands full of the purifying liquid and drizzled it slowly over the boy's head. Denzel was a bit startled but relaxed and peered at his reflection below. Sure enough, the Geo-Stigma evaporated from his forehead behind his soft brown side-swept bangs.

Cheers resounded in the broken church as Cloud's eyes surveyed his surroundings. Everyone seemed relieved and excited. Smiles adorned all of their faces. He wanted to smile from the bottom of his heart too, but something made him feel anxious. Something didn't quite feel right… His eyes travelled to the entrance of the building and his heart lept. The figure was walking away, but there was no mistaking that gait, those clothes or the long, silver hair.


	2. End of Eternity  I

_Author's Note__: First, I'd like to thank you for taking your time to wonder what this story is going to be about. Secondly, I wanted to take this opportunity to inform you that although I wish I could post a new chapter once a day, I work two full-time jobs so finding time to actually work on the story (and proofread it) will take more time than I'd like. I'm very excited to see my story unfold and though it will be a long ride with slow progress, I sincerely hope you will be patient with me so we can take this journey together! And last but not least…_

_Disclaimer__: I may work two full-time jobs but I'm a poor grad so you'll get nothing anyway. And, even if I did have the funds, I still wouldn't be able to own the rights either. =(_

[ I ]

"STOP!"

Cloud jerked awake, startling Marlene. The small, silver tray in her hands clanked onto the wooden floor. The white, porcelain cup once filled with hot tea splattered at the foot of Cloud's bed and shattered. Her eyes were wide, showcasing the unexpected shock and a hint of fear riddled with shame. She quickly bent down and began to gather the broken cup.

"Wait! Don't touch anything, Marlene."

He threw the dusty-blue comforter covers off him and crouched across from Marlene, carefully picking the pieces and setting them onto the overturned silver tray which he up-righted. "You might cut yourself."

Marlene nodded, stood and took a small step back to allow Cloud access to the damages. "I'll go get a washcloth."

Cloud nodded. "Thank you."

As her childish feet padded quickly down the stairs, he plucked the last piece of the white cup from behind the foot-post and set it down with a deep sigh.

It had already been over two years since the end of The Planet's wrath, the Geo-Stigma, however, the dreams about that time only succeeded in becoming more frequent. _He_ gradually made _his_ appearance in Aeris and Zack's place by the doorway each time Cloud dreamt to the conclusion and with each dream, _he_ became more vivid. In the beginning, _he_ was an uncomfortable feeling. Then _he_ became Aeris' shadow. The last few times _he_ was alongside an unsuspecting Aeris as she walked away. That morning, there was no Aeris or Zack, just _him_.

Soft footsteps ascended the stairs and rounded the corner. Cloud snapped out of his thoughts to look up. Instead of Marlene, a gentle Tifa kneeled across from Cloud with a dry, grey towel in her hands. The light grey turned dark as it stained. She continued to wipe the now warm, aromatic tea that had spewed over the floor and had filled his room with the soft and bitter scent.

Cloud sat back on his heels with the tray in his lap. "Sorry."

Tifa smiled faintly with a slight shake of her head; her silver earring jingled. "Marlene told me not to scold you."

Cloud nodded. "Thank you."

"She said you looked like you were having a bad dream so I asked her to give you some tea so that when you wake up, you'll be more relaxed."

"I should apologize for scaring her." His gaze traveled out the curtain-less window and back at the now dampened towel.

She smiled again, her eyes focused on the matter at hand. "Don't worry about that. There are better things for you to worry about. Barret's outside getting fired up because Reno and Rude have refused to relay a message to you through him."

"The Turks? If they're here, Rufus must be desperate." Besides, if Cloud had to take a guess, it was probably no more than half past seven in the morning. It was a little odd.

"That man only has the good of Shinra on his mind," Tifa agreed. She stood quickly and darted into the bathroom next door to wring out the sopped towel. "Leave that to me and go see what the boys are fussing over before Barret raises his right arm," Tifa giggled lightheartedly.

_She's right_, he thought. _I'd better go see what the problem is_. He thanked her again as he side-stepped out of her way when she re-entered to finish drying the floor.

Marlene was sitting on one of the bar's stools with Denzel and the two were whispering solemnly to one another. Both stopped to watch Cloud when he entered the room. With a faint "Good morning" nod, he crossed the straight path to the door and pulled it open while still clad in an all black, cotton pajama bottom that hung low on his slender hips and a black, cotton wife-beater that accentuated his broad shoulders which hugged his well-built torso. The hard cement doorstep was cold under his bare feet and he found himself involuntarily lifting his toes.

Cloud glanced to his left where Reno and Rude stood defensively and to the right with Barret flailing both arms in frustration, a scowl on his face.

The men stopped when they saw Cloud. Reno's eyes bugged-out slightly. "I'd never figure you to be a late riser."

"What does your master want?" _And it wasn't late. They were just early_ - early enough that his voice was still coarse from sleep.

Reno turned to Rude as if confirming something unspoken before looking back at Cloud. There was a playful curve to his lips that screamed, "mischief" as they always did. "The Boss wants to speak to you in person, yo."

Cloud tsk'd and tilted his head aside. "It would've made things easier if he had come with you and it'd all be over with by now."

"That it? An' you said you ain't tellin' me nothin'? What a buncha time wasters, ya Turds!" Barret interjected from the side.

Reno and Rude grunted in reply but swiftly returned their attention back onto Cloud, who had raised his hand to Barret as a sign for him to stay in line. "Just following orders, yo."

"What's the _full_ message?"

Rude checked the time on a watch on his left wrist that Cloud never knew he wore. "In two hours. "

"Where?"

"We'll find you," Reno finished.

"The hell's that supposed ta mean?" Barret displayed an irritated face, which was fine by Cloud. He would have had the same reaction except his hadn't made its way to the surface. Rude had already started backing away and Reno, after checking his watch as usual, followed suit. Cloud didn't know whether to feel something for the poor Turks or not, as they were constantly on some kind of schedule.

Barret stepped forward, shaking his gun-armed fist. "What's with the smartass - "

"Barret."

He looked to his left and instantly shut his potty mouth. Marlene and Denzel were peeking through the door behind Cloud and apparently, had been eavesdropping on the conversation. He cleared his throat and cooled his risen temper to mutter instead, "Those damned Turks. Always tryin' ta be mysterious one way or 'nother."

"Hi daddy!" Having been caught listening to grown-up's conversations, Marlene decided it was time to come out from hiding. She pushed the door open, smacking Cloud's behind. He stumbled forward and caught himself. Denzel remained at the threshold.

"Marlene! C'mere, you silly, little girl!"

She hopped onto Barret's muscular outstretched arms before he even finished asking her to. The lovey-dovey father-daughter duo giggled on as Cloud placed an arm around Denzel and retreated inside the bar.

"Ah! You're getting too big for Daddy to carry! Did you have a good night?"

The door clicked shut softly behind them Cloud and Denzel.

"What do you want for breakfast?" Cloud queried.

Denzel's eyes lit up, softening the frown Cloud hadn't realized he was holding until then. "Can I have anything?"

"Whatever you want!" Cloud swept his arms apart to specify that anything meant anything.

"Hm..." The boy seemed to have made a quick decision but then his eyes flickered from Cloud's and back to staring into the distance.

Cloud nudged him playfully, knowing that the boy wouldn't show greed, and lifted the boy onto one of the bar stools. He rounded to the serving side of the counter, leaned in and smiled mischievously. It was a face he hadn't made since... _forever_, he thought. The muscles required for the expression felt stiff. Pure excitement brightened up Denzel's usual calm visage. Cloud's smile grew a smidgeon wider and he leaned closer to Denzel to whisper. "How about... ice cream?"

"Yeah!"

"Shh!"

The elated youngster covered his mouth with both hands in surprise and giggled. Cloud chuckled faintly with him. "But you have to promise not to let Barret catch us, alright?"

Denzel nodded vigorously. "What about Marlene?"

"She'll love ice cream for breakfast too... as soon as we get Barret to leave." He winked and Denzel nodded knowingly.

"How do we do that?"

Just so, the front door opened and the father-daughter duo stepped in with Marlene atop Barret's shoulder. She had definitely gotten bigger in the last few years but in comparison to her father's largely muscled shoulders, she was still as comfortable as when they first met.

"What're you two plotting?" He slid Marlene off his shoulder with ease.

Marlene's eyes widened and her natural curiosity was peaked. "I wanna know too! Denzel, share!"

The plotters eyed each other. _How to get Barret out of the plan_, thought Cloud. Like a god-send, the bar phone rang. They heard Tifa quickly descend the steps and stopped short when she saw Marlene run around the bar counter to pick up the receiver. Barret and Tifa exchanged greetings while Cloud wondered vaguely why she didn't grab the call upstairs.

The caller was none other than Cid and he explained that he had tried Barret's cellular phone line. When Barret hadn't picked up, he figured to try the bar. Where else would the man be? That yanked at Barret's wrong cord and their conversation escalated into a verbal fight over the phone. By the time the phone call ended, the man was back to normal. Barret announced that he was headed to the Midgard ruins with Cid to salvage scrap metal for a project Cid had been blue-printing.

"What's he planning to build?" Denzel spoke the thought in Cloud's mind.

"Beats me. I'm just extra muscle." He shrugged. "Tifa... I hate to ask but - "

"That's fine, Barret. Marlene has Denzel, Cloud and myself."

Barret hung his head and shook it slowly side to side. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it. Besides, we have more fun when you're not around."

"What? No, tell me that's not true, Marlene!"

Marlene giggled. The corners of Cloud's lips tugged upward again. "Who wants ice cream?"  
>Barret's jaw dropped and after several fruitless attempts to rain on their happy morning, he was shoved out the door, an uninvited guest to their party.<p>

Fenrir came to a sliding stop before the cliff's drop, sending a variable of rocks bouncing over the edge. The rusty, weather-beaten Buster sword remained faithful, overlooking the black, scrap ruins of Midgard with Edge springing from it's southeast. Cloud shut off the bike and stepped off, unearthed the lopsided sword by the hilt and stabbed it back into the dry land.

A small plume of dirt drifted across the open air. Cloud often made specific trips every once in a short while to straighten out the Buster sword that was at the constant mercy of nature; and also because Cloud would not bear the thought of his friend's dignity being any less.

Sure, the Turks took care of Zack's physical body when Cloud had sauntered off half-dead in the pouring rain, but the sword marked much more than, "the spot First Class SOLDIER Zack Fair, a deserter," was gunned down. It was the place where his friend had gifted him a new beginning. It was the place he promised to live on. His life wasn't just his own. There was the place where he returned to when he was lost. Zack would always be the solution to his queries. The place served as a reminder of everything that had come to pass, everything that is and everything that is to come.

"What's so important that you came to see me in person?" Cloud side-stepped and Reno tumbled forward, missing Cloud with his electro-magnetic rod. He felt the prickling of not-friend, not-foe and glanced over his right shoulder to the approaching Turks and their boss, Rufus.

Reno grappled onto the Buster sword for support and succeeded in re-tilting it on its axis; the hard dirt and pebbles crackled under the movement. He peered over the cliff and let out a loud whistle. "That wouldn't have been very funny, yo."

Cloud turned to face his approachers with his right hand rested on Fenrir's side. Rude stood behind and to Rufus' left with his hands clasped before him. Tseng took his place to the right of Rufus and Elena "the true Blond" to Tseng's right. Cloud wasn't particularly fond of the blond Shinra boss nor did he trust the man's words. Rufus was afterall, a man who had once given a wonderful speech about controlling the common citizen with fear and power instead of money the way his old man had. That fact hadn't changed since their first meeting at Shinra Headquarters years ago albeit less directly as of late.

"Glad to see you're doing well too, Cloud," Rufus announced with a smile that didn't quite reach his blue eyes.

Reno straightened himself and dusted down his black suit. He returned nonchalantly to Rufus' side, eyeing Cloud as if Cloud were detrimental to his usual downfall. Cloud took none of it to heart but there was something about Rufus that he never really did quite know how to approach. He didn't welcome the way Rufus was appraising him in the silence either. _Was this a battle of wills?_ When the crowd remained silent for long enough, Cloud debated about hopping back onto Fenrir.

"Always so impatient with me, Cloud. I feel like I have to book an appointment with you… although that being said, I did do so and that's why we're here now. But still ever so impatient."

"I'm here for important matters, or so it seemed at the time," Cloud responded.

Rufus waved a hand nonchalantly before clasping them behind his back. It was a hereditary trait, Cloud assumed. "Yes, I'll go straight to the point."

Cloud waited.

"You may want to have a seat first."

Cloud shook his head. "To the point."

"I was… taking a leisurely tour of North Coral several days ago. It has come some time ago to my understanding that a friend of yours calls that place 'home'. What was his name again?"

"Go on," Cloud urged, his patience running thin as the seconds ticked forward.

"Ah, yes. You do recall your experience at the Gold Saucer some four years ago, do you not? There was an… accident, if you will, involving a man with a gunned arm. Turned out it was not the doing of that friend of yours but his friend." Rufus paced back and forth before the four Turks, his eyes locked on Cloud's as he spoke. "But I'm sure that's old news to you." A strip of blond bangs fell forward and Rufus swept it back with his hand.

Cloud almost wanted to smile in irony at that simple habitual gesture which he thought Rufus had dropped. Almost. Instead, he reached for the Buster sword, unearthed it and staked it down stably again. "Get to the point."

Rufus stopped his pacing, glanced behind his shoulder and Rude produced a roll of paper. Cloud took it from Rude's gloved hands and skimmed through the columns.

"It's your idol, Sephiroth, we're searching for." As hastedly as she opened her mouth, Elena quickly clamped it shut. Some habits die hard. Rude cocked his head to the side to glare at Elena through his dark shades and the female's cheeks flushed a neon pink.

Rufus shrugged and shook his head disapprovingly. "Elena, I shouldn't have to remind you."

At the Boss' words, Elena lowered her gaze to her shiny, black stilettos.

Cloud rolled up the paper and thrust it toward the Turk again, speaking indirectly to Rufus. "So you're implying that the new mass murder at the Gold Saucer from this paper was his doing?" It was more a statement than a question.

"Since Elena had so gracefully cut to the chase, there's no reason to prance around the obvious." Rufus did not refute her claim.

"What makes you so sure?"

Reno stepped forward. "Didn't you read the paper?"

"It doesn't confirm anything."

"You're in denial - "

"It's not him," Cloud cut Rufus short.

Reno snorted in disbelief. "You're always in denial when it comes to Sephiroth, yo. He's as real as you and I, though by some freak of Lifestream nature, he keeps returning."

"He won't stop until he gets what he's always been aiming for," Rufus continued, slipping back into the conversation. "You know it, and you know it best."

_I know that he is equally as insane as his mother was, once upon a time. I also know that he desires me as his captive audience. The sadist in him would love nothing more than to see me suffer._

Cloud glanced over his shoulders briefly toward Edge and back again. "Just because I've successfully forced him to retreat twice doesn't mean anything."

"It means," Rufus held up his index finger, "that you are indeed a First Class SOLDIER."

Cloud scoffed. "That holds no meaning to me."

Behind Rufus, Tseng bowed, turned and slowly descended the dry path they'd previously come from. Elena followed suit, both of them kicking up dust lightly as their feet crushed the fine grains under their soles.

Rufus waved a hand nonchalantly, habitually, yet again. "Time waits for no one, Cloud. Sooner or later you'll have to face him again. Sooner than later, I would hope." He turned and then stopped halfway. "What will happen in fifty, sixty years when you're gone? I look forward to seeing you again, Ex-SOLDIER."

The Turks disappeared in the distance and soon the familiar sound of a helicopter rose into the sky with the even more familiar red diamond painting on its side. Cloud straddled Fenrir and allowed it to roar to life after eyeing the rusted Buster sword once more. Everything seemed to begin with _him_ and probably will have to end with _him_. If it weren't for the adoration Cloud had for Sephiroth, he would have never joined SOLDIER and aspire to Sephiroth's greatness. If it weren't for Sephiroth, Nibelheim would have never gone up in flames and been rebuilt with strangers pretending to be the people he grew up around. If Sephiroth never existed, Hojo would never have experimented on Zack or himself, and they would never have had to literally run for their lives. _If Sephiroth never existed…_

_Zack would have been alive. Aeris would have been alive. They might have been happily married with a child or two and the line of Cetras would have continued. I would have never been a disillusioned puppet._

"Would have…" Cloud whispered softly and pulled away from the cliff with Fenrir's wheels as fast as the erratic beating of his heart.

It was early evening when Cloud found himself standing before 7th Heaven. He needed some time to collect his thoughts and wound up taking a tour of the decrepit Midgard remains. He took a long, purposefully winding route home. He was glad to not have run into Cid and Barret. The cellular phone that Vincent had replaced for him had rung several times with the number from this place but he hadn't felt ready to answer the call. Tifa had on more than one occasion, given him a speech about the importance of answering a call just to assure the caller that he was safe. Cloud understood the concern but there were just moments in life that he couldn't face the facts just yet.

"Cloud?"

Tifa pulled the door open softly and let it slide all the way.

"Sorry," he replied, shaking off the memories.

Tifa moved aside, closing the door behind him. He was apologizing a great deal in one day - more than necessary, she thought. It was nothing new, however it also meant Cloud was troubled by something and that calls for action. If she couldn't get the blond to spill it, he'd be voluntarily brooding on his own.

"What did Rufus want?"

He stopped mid-step with his back to her and found himself unsure what face to show her. He swiftly opted for the simplest way around it. "Shinra business. I'll explain things tomorrow."

Tifa turned a quarter and pried into the back of his head with her eyes. Should she dig any deeper? "Explain? It's something big enough that requires an explanation?"

"Let's discuss this tomorrow."

He didn't wait for her response as he ascended the narrow, wooden stairs that groaned under his boots. Tifa looked away, sighed lightly and nodded to his retreated back. No, that's as far as she would push into his thoughts. In all those years that she had known Cloud, she knew that it was best to allow him a little time to himself before he would be able to approach any subject that weighed on his mind. At times, she trusted that he would handle himself well, but other times, she worried that his inability to open up meant he was still afraid of himself. If there was a way to change that about him, she would have done so. Cloud was Cloud and he'll always be Cloud.

His footsteps crossed heavily overhead and she knew it was time to check on Denzel. To an extent, Tifa couldn't help grouping the young boy and Cloud into one bubble. Both were lonesome wanderers who carried loads upon their shoulders, too afraid to allow the goodwill of others to help lighten the burdens.  
>She ascended the staircase and glanced to the right. The light in Denzel's room was still on and the door was ajar. She peered through the crack and her eyes fell upon him staring out his curtain-less window with a curiously deep thought on his face. She rapped the door gently.<p>

Denzel snapped around as Tifa nudged the door open.

"Tifa."

"Hey. What's going on?"

He pulled away from the window and climbed onto the bed, crawling under the soft, cotton covers. "I was just wondering how Marlene and Barret are doing."

Tifa chuckled. Barret had found a place several blocks away from 7th Heaven and taken his daughter with him. The two children were fond of each other. They were sad about the sudden separation but promised to take turns visiting one another's home. They'd been together for what seemed an eternity and Barret had just cleared house last weekend. Yuffie thought the idea was great because she'd have more homes to climb into unnoticed, or so she claimed, and Barret had warned her about any sticky fingers she may be planning on acquiring. Yuffie quickly rebutted those accusations by assuring Barret that whatever he owned was probably worth nothing – unless of course, he had rare materia that she wasn't privy to and the thought alone was unfathomable. Needless to say, that stirred up Barret's pot and Cid had to silence the debate with his newly sharpened lance.

"I'm sure Barret and Marlene are fine. And I'm sure they're wondering about you, too." Tifa settled onto the side of the bed and stroked his soft, brown hair. "Cloud just returned a moment ago."

Denzel nodded. "I heard him go into his room. Is Cloud okay?"

"Yes, he's fine. Now you get some sleep too. You don't want to be still sleeping when Marlene comes over do you? That wouldn't be very manly, now."

Tifa caught a slight flushing of his cheeks and his eyes flickered bashfully. "Yes. Goodnight, Tifa."

"Goodnight."

Cloud drifted in and out of a string of thoughts as he heard Tifa exit Denzel's room and turned down the hall to hers. The impossible yet possible name the Turks had spoken of had been whirling around his mind and all he wanted to do now was sleep.

_Sephiroth…_

_Why are you so adamant? Wouldn't things be so much better for you if you'd accepted death? You bring death and despair onto others as if you are the one to judge but aren't you the least bit ashamed of your hypocrisy?_

Cloud sighed, closed his eyes and turned onto his right side. His dusty-blue covers weren't trapping his body heat and he shivered, drawing it up to his ears.

_I suppose such things bear no meaning to someone such as you._

Rain began to lightly patter against his window. The sound of water had always held a form of soothing comfort to the turbulence in his mind. Many a sleepless night he'd gone to the slum church for that reason, not that there weren't access to water elsewheres. It was simply a preference and comfort zone.

The pattering gradually increased until Cloud found himself floating on his back in the pool of the slum church. He abruptly righted himself, feeling the water-softened dirt beneath his feet. The children he was used to seeing weren't surrounding him. He spun around. His friends and fellow Edge neighbors were not standing to the sides. It was quiet. He knew he had been in this situation before but couldn't quite recall the details. The church laid devoid of other life and all his ears picked up were the trickling of water and the silence that stillness brought.

He whirled around to find the church entrance but it was bare. The ambience of the crystal clear water sloshed loudly in the deadness of the church as he stepped toward the edge of the broken wooden planks. He was prepared to hoist himself up when, suddenly, something caught hold of his right ankle. His heart lept at the realization that he was going to be dragged under. Several quick kicks of his leg did little to deter the vice-like grip and with inhuman strength, it pulled and he disappeared below the surface. The sheer force stole the air from his lungs. His first instinct was to kick again and resurface for air. Bubbles fizzled around him, obscuring his view.

The hold on his ankle did not relent. Cloud flailed his arms, trying to break the surface but the pool was deeper than he recalled. The waters finally calmed enough for him to catch a glimpse of what had a hold of him. He let out a bubble-filled gasp having seen a pale, bare hand encircled his ankle. With more determination, he desperately tried to shake the perpetrating hand off but it remained strong. A second hand appeared, grabbing hold of his calf, dragging him deeper. Cloud thrashed some more, glancing toward the shimmering surface that was mere inches from the tips of his fingers. The hands that held him pulled harder and he panicked, glancing back down. The pale hands were no longer bare but covered in black, leather gloves that extended beyond his field of view. He struggled against the steel grip, his energy depleting with the lack of oxygen in each effort. His lungs threatened to burst out of his chest if he didn't resurface.

_I'm going to die!_

In the midst of his battle, Cloud felt the hands crawl up to his thigh, then around his torso and suddenly, mako-infused emerald eyes stared coldly into his crystal blue ones. Long, silver hair swirled around him like a swarm of ribbons.

_Sephiroth?_

Without warning, the lips of the silver-haired man curled upward and devoured his own. Air gushed into his lungs and with renewed vigor, Cloud pushed away. Instinctively, he swiped at his attacker with a right hook. Instead of landing a solid punch, Sephiroth dissipated like a string of smoke. Cloud reeled around in the depths of the pool with his blue orbs searching every direction yet, found himself alone.

_"It's been a while, Cloud… Did you miss me?"_ The voice was clear as the water he was in and came from all directions. Cloud rotated again but before he could see anything, a painful clash to his left ribs sent him spiraling into a darkness that enveloped him.


	3. End of Eternity II

Author's note + disclaimer: Thanks for the awesome responses! You really made my day! Now, on to the next chapter about people that I don't actually own!

[ II ]

Cloud blinked several times in quick succession and winced. He had not fallen out of bed since he was a little boy so he felt a little embarrassed all to himself. His blankets, the dusty-blue one and a thicker slate-colored one beneath, were tangled between his awkward legs. He kicked then off and was in the process of straightening himself out when there came a knock on his door.

"I'm fine," he answered, knowing well that he couldn't possibly admit about the nightmare that sent him whirling over the bed.

He also knew that as promised, it was time to talk yet a part of him wasn't so sure he should share information that he wasn't quite privy to just yet. The left arm that took the brunt of the fall throbbed and he rubbed the sore area. It wouldn't do if the pain morphed into bruises. He'd really have to suffer a load of ridicule then.

Cloud shivered. If there was one other thing he didn't warm up to, it was the cold. He'd always been vulnerable to it. Snow was a beautiful sight to behold yet, his body told him it could do without. In his mind, snow always gave him the impression that anything it touched, turned into something more pure. He smiled forlornly to himself. _Why am I thinking like a child?_ Even while snowboarding away from Icicle Inn, he recalled trembling in his boots at the sheer dry coldness. It made him shake like a terrified mouse cornered by a ravenous cat. _Did cats eat mice?_ He didn't think so. Cats were sadistic killers who played with their prey and clawed them to death with no other specific purpose than to appease the desire to spread death.

There was undoubtedly a draft in his room and he looked to his window. It was shut and locked down. Maybe it was about time he really put some insulation over it. And under his door. Even the wooden planks below his feet felt like standing on blocks of ice.

Still in his full-on black sleepwear, he mused aloud that t'is the season to begin sleeping in the old attractive sweats. Cloud stretched his back and cracked his spine audibly before he swung the bedroom door open. It was a morning routine that helped jump start his blood circulation so if he didn't do it, something felt incomplete.

The smell of sausage and eggs mingled with the sweet alluring scent of pancakes wafted into his nose. It was in that moment that he realized his hunger. The last thing he had eaten was ice cream and cookies yesterday morning with the kids. Even he knew that those two things weren't exactly a healthy meal, much less a breakfast. His stomach churned noisily at the prospect of a delicious breakfast and with a lighter gait, he made his way downstairs.

Vincent was at the breakfast table along with Marlene, Denzel, Tifa and Barret. Nanaki was staring intently at the eggs before him and with one swipe of his tongue, the plate was sparkling clean. Both of his fluffy pups giggled and imitated him. Neither were quite as skilled, leaving egg yolks spilled over their plates and onto the tabletop.

"Good morning, Cloud," Tifa greeted as she set a fresh plate of sunny-side-up eggs before the small pack of red-furred tigers. "Pancakes?"

"Sure."

"Did the Turds find you?" Barret asked with a mouthful of syrupy pancake.

Cloud pulled out a seat and sat at the end of the table closest to where he'd walked in. Marlene and Denzel were busy watching in awe as Vincent sliced perfect pancakes into fun strips with his golden claws.

"Yeah."

"So?" Tifa egged on.

Cloud glanced at the children who were still enchanted by Vincent's little game. "There's been an accident at the Gold Saucer and they want me to go check it out."

"Accident?" Tifa set a plate of freshly made pancakes, sausage and eggs before Cloud. His stomach growled audibly and he quickly scarfed down one of the two cakes. He felt their eyes on him, waiting for him to continue. Tifa handed him a tall glass of orange juice as well and he gulped that down in one go.

"Anyone seen The Edge lately?" he asked after wiping his lips with a blue napkin.

The Edge, as simple and uncreative as it sounded, was Edge's main news paper source. Unsurprisingly, it was run by Shinra Corporation, which Rufus had been slowly rebuilding over the few years that had gone by. His Turks were loyal to him and the reorganization of their empire didn't take as long as one would hope. Midgard had been the most populous and prosperous city in all of The Planet and even after it's downfall, just the mention of Shinra had normal people spinning around in paranoia. After all, they did medically, scientifically create the monster known as Sephiroth…

"You think I'd subscribe ta that stinkin' paper? Why would I willingly hand a Gil ta that damned Shinra?"

No one else seemed able to respond positively to his query so Cloud decided to keep it vague for the sake of the young ones. "Seems someone out there got Dyne's idea."

All the adults froze; even Vincent paused for a millisecond in the middle of slicing up a Teddy bear pancake. Marlene and Denzel cheered excitedly which grabbed the furry pups' attention and they clamored atop the table to join in on Vincent's carvings.

"Who - " Nanaki began, but a knock disrupted their conversation. Cloud stood raking his chair back and went for the door. The little hairs on the back of his neck prickled softly so before he even opened, he  
>knew who was behind the door.<p>

"Time to go." Rude announced monotonously. The red-head was preoccupied in the background, looking as jittery as a coffee-addict gone too long without caffeine.

Cloud tilted his head. "We didn't agree on this yesterday."

"The Boss will beat the juices out of us if you don't hurry it up!" Reno tapped his beating stick irritatingly across his shoulder, glancing left and right nervously.

"I need a minute." He shut the door on the Turks and went to his room. Cloud really didn't care about Turk business or Shinra for that matter but he couldn't allow himself to be responsible for Reno and Rude's demise even if it wasn't his fault to begin with. Sometimes his softer side got the better appeal.

The rest of the gang sat curiously in the kitchen waiting for Cloud's return. Just as Vincent decided he'd see what was happening, Cloud reappeared in the kitchen doorway, halting Vincent mid-step.

"I'm headed to the Gold Saucer with Reno and Rude." He turned in his boots and paused as a thought crossed his mind. "Don't follow me."

He left the group blinking after him with the ever-inquisitive voices of the children asking the others where he was headed. The three men walked to the open main square where Kadaj had once ordered Bahamut SIN to destroy the Shinra monument, believing that Rufus had hidden their Mother somewhere inside. Cloud faintly wondered if at the time it made any sense if Bahamut had shot their poor Mother into oblivion if it had indeed been hidden there.

The steel black helicopter with the red diamond sat quietly awaiting Reno's return while surrounded by analytical commoners peering into the seating areas.

"Ah! My poor, lonesome baby is safe!" Reno breathed a sigh of relief.

It was now obvious to Cloud that Reno had been uncomfortable leaving his "poor, lonesome baby" at the mercy of gawking common folk.

"Show's over, folks!" Reno tapped and parted the crowd with his metal rod and opened the pilot's door.

Rude slipped into the open back seat followed by Cloud. Most of the people recognized the men getting into the helicopter as Turks and the "delivery guy". It wasn't too complicated to pick out which was which when two of the three wore sleek, black suits and the blond was a familiar face. Reno picked up his communications earphones and looked over at the two in the back. "Clear out these people, Rude. I really don't want blood on my precious."

Rude poked his head at the adoring congregation and reached into this suit jacket's pocket. It didn't take a rocket scientist (such as Cid) to see what tactics Rude would use so Cloud turned to the people.

"Step away, please. We're taking off."

Obediently, the citizens swayed back like grass in an open field. Rude cleared his throat and sat back when Cloud returned his attention to the Turk. Reno laughed amusingly and powered on the switches; the blades spun to life with a high-pitched whir. Rude tossed an earphone onto Cloud's lap and placed a set over his own ears.

"Where's Rufus?" Cloud spoke into the little padded microphone.

"The Boss doesn't deal with Turk business," Reno replied.

"He's your boss. You're a Turk. That makes him in charge of your business." Cloud wanted to roll his eyes but stopped. "What happened to his wheelchair?"

Rude leaned forward. "You could say that the Lifestream healed it."

Cloud pondered the idea. Was that true? He was sure there were other people who could use the miracle instead of Rufus, such as...

Cloud looked to the ones In the distance. There was an elderly woman in a wheelchair being ushered by a young man, trailed by a toddler. It wasn't his place to judge though. As his thoughts continued, Reno lifted the party off and they were on their merry way.

The rest of the ride was spent in silence save for a few comments here and there from Reno which didn't fall on Cloud's deaf ears. He was busy wondering what he should expect when they land. When had the event occurred? He didn't subscribe to The Edge either. It'd be just like Shinra to clean up the space seconds after the matter. What was expected of him at the scene anyway?

The blinding neon lights of the Gold Saucer were still flashing, the blaring music was still ear-splitting and from where he sat, he could see that the many rides were still at it. Apparently, all power was still up and running, and one wouldn't have suspected anything abnormal had occurred from the outside. Reno pulled into a helipad at the very top that Cloud never knew existed. Then again, how would he have known? Another thought crossed his mind. _What about the prison? Was it affected by the massacre?  
><em>  
>"Oh, I almost forgot, yo. We also need to check out the prison."<p>

Reno read his thoughts on cue. He shut off the plane's engine and the three stepped out with the propellers gradually slowing. Reno led the way, Cloud followed and Rude followed him. They stopped before a rusted steel door in front of the landing with the Shinra logo. Reno put his right hand over an electronic palm reading device and unlocked the door. The hallway inside was brightly lit like the rest of the Gold Saucer that Cloud had seen. The stairway leading down was bland and grey, but wide enough for the three men to descend side by side, and then some. _Waste of space_, he thought.

Several more flights lead them through another door in which Reno held open for the party. There must be some kind of security to that door because as Reno held it open, it buzzed and beeped with each passing body. A red light flashed as each one passed. Cloud wasn't surprised to find an equally long bleak hall that led to another door and through that, they were finally standing at the main tram entrance with a large brightly colored flag that simply stated, "Station Square".

Contrary to his prior imagination about the place being spotless, they were greeted by several dead bodies. Cloud's throat tightened.

"And here we are," Reno spread his arms wide.

"I'm not an investigator. What do you expect me to find here?" Cloud inquired.

Rude stepped forward and bent to his knees to examine a dead woman who looked awfully familiar to Cloud. In her beautifully manicured right hand were entrance fee tickets smeared with blood and in her left was a fairly insane sum of Gils. After all, the entrance fee was ridiculously overpriced if he recalled correctly. Her eyes were frozen open, the blues of her irises had dulled from the dilated pupils.

"See what you can find. Thats all," Rude replied.

Reno knelt beside Rude and prodded the dead woman's back with his stick.

"All I see are a few dead bodies. I'm surprised Shinra hasn't kept on top of it," Cloud stated, "and respect the dead." He nudged the two men with the toe of his heavy, black boots.

Reno swatted at his leg and stood. "So, let's begin."

"How are we going to do this?" It was Rude. The man rarely ever asked questions. It was more miraculous than him speaking out of turn when Reno was mouthing off.

Cloud placed a hand on his hip and looked around before peering down the entrance hall. "Let's split up. I'll take the Event Square."

"What? Hey, hey now. Don't go trying to pull something on us, you hear?"

Cloud gave Reno a shake of his head and started down the entrance hall. It wouldn't do to waste time trying to convince the red-head otherwise. There wasn't far he could go in the place anyway. He didn't know how to fly a plane nor did he savor memories of being down in the desert prison. Right as Reno was to protest, they heard voices coming from the door behind them. The party froze, ears as keen as fresh pressed iron blades.

"Are we going the right way?" A female voice.

"Look, this is the only way the hall leads."

"Shh! They might hear us!"

"You shush! You're the loudest one here!"

A gruff male voice responded heatedly, "What? Why I oughta -"

Cloud inwardly smacked his forehead. His two companions, if one could call them so, were slowly readying their weapons to surprise the intruders. Cloud sighed loudly and walked to the door that they had come through. The door swung open and Cloud crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Ahh!"

"What is it, Yuffie?"

Behind him, Cloud heard Reno curse under his breath at the shameless group of misfits. Nanaki gulped and backed away when he saw Cloud, revealing the entire crew. "What are you all doing here?" 

Cid scratched the back of his head uncomfortably. "Following you?"

"And what did I say before I left?"

"Not to follow you..." Tifa replied meekly from Vincent's side.

"So what are you all doing here?" Cloud put on his most stern expression. He suddenly felt like a father disciplining a bunch of children who had too much candy on Halloween.

"Following you?" Cid responded again.

"We've got work to do, yo!" The impatience in Reno's voice was clear. If Rufus thought Cloud was impatient, he couldn't imagine what Rufus thought about Reno.

"Wait," Cloud began. "Since they're all here anyway, let's put them to use. We can cover more ground with more pe -"

"Eek!" Yuffie let out a high shriek. Everyone turned to follow her gaze, which landed on one of the dead bodies, a man partially suited as a Chocobo mascot. The costume head was several feet away exposing the balding man's lolled tongue and the drying blood pooled under his neck.

"What happened here?" Nanaki broke the silence, weaving into the open.

Yuffie covered her eyes dramatically. "It must be the Gi tribe! Oh no..."

"That's not well appreciated, Yuffie," Nanaki defended, "They may really pay you a visit for that uncalled for accusation."

"Could someone have set loose an uncontrolled summon?" Cid who chimed in thoughtfully.

"We don't know for sure, but what we do know is, it's time for work. Let's split up." Cloud resumed, "I'll take the Event Square as I said before."

"B-but I don't want to work! Y-you can all go and I'll just sit right here and - "

"Stare at the dead people?" Vincent finished for her.

"Rendezvous in one hour!" Reno called over his shoulder as he walked alongside Cloud through the tunnel.

"No! No, no, no, no! Someone, pair up with me?" Yuffie put on her puppy eyes. The large group dispersed, each headed in their own direction, ignoring her plea.

"Please? Cloud? I'm too young to die!"

Cloud was already halfway down the hall, ready to take his chute ride to the Event Square.

"Barret? Vince?" Yuffie wailed.

Tifa sighed. "Let's go to the Chocobo Square, miss."

Yuffie lept with joy, gigantic tears threatened to spill from the corners of her large, brown eyes.

"Yay! Thank you, Tifa!"

Reno stepped into the Round Square. He remembered the last time he was there. It wasn't a pleasant memory when one has Elena next to Tseng, practically drooling all over the poor man's suit. For the longest time, he had thought Elena was chasing after Rude but was told otherwise during one of their trips to Gongaga. He had to give Tseng some long-due respect for keeping calm while an annoying, idiotic, blond chick practically undressed him with her eyes. Had he ever seen Tseng lose his cool? He couldn't recall.

There were corpses of employees and visitors littering the floor every which way. The smell of rust mixed with an unidentifiable odor invaded his nostrils. In the distance was the gondola ride, still operating happily. As he approached, he took notice of several dead men and women, children as well, slumped lifelessly on some of the carts. One of the carts slowly passed and showed him a teenaged boy hanging over his seat, a large gash running from the top of his left shoulder down to his right hip.

"Just like the rest of the bodies," he thought to himself.

There was a control box to his right where a middle-aged, overweight man was slaughtered over. Reno walked to the box, took one quick look and shoved the man off. He fell into an echoing thud and splat as Reno pushed the red button - one of only two buttons. The ride slowed to a stop and he stepped to the car that halted at the platform. He unlocked the door, apologized under his breath and pushed the dead man to the far side and sat on the unstained portion of the seat. Using his magnetic rod, Reno smashed the green button and the ride jerked into motion again.

As far as Reno could see from the top of the ride, things looked no different except for the ant-like bodies sprawled in different areas in the wee distance. One thing he definitely noted in his quick observations was the fact that all the victims seemed either impaled by something thin and sharp, or were slashed by something thin and sharp. A sword, perhaps? After all, that was the conclusion reported to the Turks and with a scale of death this high, it was plausible that a demon was at work - a demon named, "Sephiroth". Was he really back? Sephiroth had sent failed clones to do his bidding before and empathetic remnants the last time. What was it this time? And more importantly, how exactly was a square round?

Never being the gentleman, Cid, the ex-Shinra engineer roughly overturned a dead man onto it's back with his shoe. Like the others, it was evident the man was sliced with a clean sweep of something sharp. Above him and to the right, a game with a snowboarder that looked oddly similar to Cloud, was paused on screen with red letters flashing at the motionless boy that the game was over and to press any button to continue. Unfortunately, the boy wouldn't be pressing anything for a long time, Cid thought woefully. The boy's sanguine had splattered over some parts of the controls and some were splashed on the screen, having now dried. He stood and made his way to the back, noting a dead child, probably Denzel's age, in the 3D battle ring with his opponent waiting to counter the next move.

An unhappy Mog stared at Cid from one of the games in the back. He remembered playing the silly, somewhat watered-down dating game when he had been here with Cloud and Co. some time in the past. A teenage girl and her friend both lay dead - the brunette slumped over and stuck uncomfortably between the seat and the game, and her friend, an artificial ebony-haired girl to her right was sprawled face-down over the slumped friend's chair. A fancy, pink, genuine diamond studded cellular phone was tossed carelessly beside their equally Gil-draining heels. Cid wondered how much Gil he could fetch if he sold off the diamonds individually but Cloud's unimpressed face overrode his greed.

"Fucking conscience," he swore, averting his lustful gaze off the sparkles.

Cid wrinkled his nose at the stench of iron and metal. It was doubtful any person were still alive in this horrid nightmare and if one were, he or she may have been scarred for life. Normal beings weren't used to such a disastrous sight. If he had one obvious guess, Cid would bet his beloved Highwind on the fact that the only person who walked out of there alive was whoever did the killings. Or, a group. He couldn't say for sure if it were the dealings of one insane murderer or the work of a radical team.

Concluding that there was really nothing he could do aside from gawking at the dead in Wonder Square, Cid turned on his heels.

The sound of a roller coaster speeding in the near distance reverberated into Barret's ears as he trotted under the spinning blue and yellow sign that blinked, "Speed Square". Immobilized corpses were scattered here and there, leading to the ride entry. A pile of dead ladies and gents formed what he supposed was once a line for the thrill ride. How ironic it was that their thrill did arrive and it was to die for. The rails to his immediate left rattled, signifying the coaster was approaching and as anticipated, it swished past him in a blur. Though it flew by in a flash, he definitely didn't miss the full train of more hapless victims to the murderous spree.

Barret clenched his fist and pounded the control's top angrily. The expired employee sitting propped against the machine slid onto the ground from behind. An image in the back of his mind was itching to display itself but there were more crucial things he had to take care and so, he pushed that scenery aside.

He took a step back to take in the full view and gasped when his attention fell over a stroller. "Oh god, please don't tell me..."

With shaking hands he hadn't acknowledged, Barret walked toward the lacey pink and purple stroller and swore silently, praying to a higher power that there was no dead baby. He took hold of the sun shade and drew in the deepest breath he had ever taken, closed his eyes, counted to three in his head and flapped the shade open.

"Sweet Mother of Gaia!" he panted heavily along with his erratic heartbeat. The seat was empty. His body flooded with relief yet he knew that only meant the infant was elsewhere. In the mother or father's arms? Maybe crushed under an adult? Perhaps with a parent at a different area? Or probably...

Barret didn't want to finish the thought as he stared over the roller coaster's metal and wood rails, then, beyond into the vast openness that laid below the ride. His stomach churned, sending bile up his esophagus. The last time he felt this sick and angry had been when Shinra burned Mount Coral to the ground and sacrificed his town.

That was it! That was the image yearning to come to his mind!

His once shaken hands of fear became furious. "Fuck you, Shinra!" he bellowed, rage seeping through his words.

He didn't know if Shinra were behind this catastrophe and feigned ignorance for face value or if it were completely unrelated, all he knew was that he needed to get the hell out of there and find living beings before he started shooting the damned building down.

Marlene's cherubic face flashed across his mind, dispersing the fire and served to sooth some of his anger. No, he didn't want to become like Dyne. He couldn't afford to take his self-loathing to Dyne's level. Marlene was his life and he'd sworn to protect her. He refused to soil the hands that kept his best friend's daughter - his daughter - alive and innocent of her biological father's twisted justice.

The endless roller coaster ride swished past him again as he faced the tracks. They were nothing but shells of what were once living beings however, he felt the people deserved their rest. He depressed the red button and walked away. As he exited the area, he heard the clacking of the train finally coming to rest at it's platform.

After everyone had walked away, Nanaki took it upon himself to guard the Station. Vincent had poked fun at Yuffie about the entrance, but Nanaki knew that someone had to keep an eye on things there when all else was chosen. There wasn't much to do other than stare at the structures of the building, randomly meet the dead eyes of soulless people and muse about what the others may have come across. For a short moment, Nanaki caught himself hypnotized by all the flashing lights. Was it unwise to stare so long at such bright, unnatural light? He shook his head, clearing the still-blinking lights behind his eyelids.

"I may be wrong, madam, but may I ask, have we met before?"

Nanaki sat on his hind legs as he questioned the dead ticket seller. She neither looked at him nor responded. Of course he knew she was long gone and probably halfway around The Planet in the Lifestream but he had to find some way to stave off his boredom.

"Perhaps that wasn't the brightest idea," he shivered lightly, the red furs on his back standing on end. "I'm creeping myself out."

He stood on all four paws and began to circle the Station for the nth time. The stink of death and blood were hard on his sensitive nostrils and he opened his mouth. Marlene had taught him that, "When something smelled too horrible, breathe through your mouth." The only downfall to that was he could now taste the scents on his tongue. Nanaki contorted his snout in disgust and exhaled loudly.

"What shall I do while I wait? I'm fresh out of ideas." He laid down and sighed, his breath fogging up the shiny marble floor beneath for a few seconds.

Just then, an idea hit him. Using his teeth, he unclasped the cellular phone from his left paw and set it on the floor. The soft thud echoed around the room, bounced off the walls and startled him. He hadn't realized how quiet it all was. That must've been the reason behind his restlessness. He jabbed at the phone artfully and soon enough, it was dialing out. Maybe he shouldn't be gabbing on the job but it didn't mean his eyes were closed. He could also listen independently with each ear too.

After several rings, the line finally connected.

"It's dad! Hi, dad!"

"I wanna talk too. Hi dad!"

It was the familiar, chirpy voices of his pups. "Hey boys! Holding up the fort?"

"Yet bet! Guess what dad?"

"I'm not sure. What?" Nanaki twirled the unoccupied ear around, listening to his surroundings while entertaining the children with the other.

"A nice man gave us some huge marbles!"

"Yeah! They're shiny and taste like nothing!"

Nanaki roared into laughter. His two children were always fighting to speak and always talked over one another at the speed of light. It felt like they were always in competition over who would speak and say what. "Really?"

"Yeah!"

"I like him!"

Oh boy, he thought. I'd better get to the speech about talking to strangers. "Was it the funny man?"

There was a middle-aged man who lived a few spaces down that loved to play ball and tell jokes with his kids. The "funny man" had two young boys that perished when the plate was released over Sector 7. Every now and then, the man would give them small gifts for reminding him of the times he shared with his own beloved sons.

"Nope," replied the first.

"Nope," echoed the second.

Nanaki furrowed his brows. "No?"

"It was a man we've never seen before."

"Never."

"Hm…" Nanaki mused briefly. "You'll have to introduce him to me when I get back."

"Yessir!"

"Yessir!"

"How are Denzel and Marlene?" He hadn't heard either of the two other children in the background. In times such as these where none of the adults could watch them, Denzel was in charge of keeping everyone safe and knowing where each child was. It was a large responsibility that Tifa and Cloud had placed on him so that the boy would realize that he was trusted. It gave Denzel a strong sense of duty and worth.

"They're playing a bored game."

"Board game!"

"That's what I said!"

"Nuh-uh! You said bored. B-o-r-e-d."

"I said board! B-o-a-r-d!"

The very faint sound of movement overhead yanked Nanaki out of the conversation. He craned his neck up, trying to follow the source. In his other ear, the boys were still bickering. Another weak brushing akin to the sound of clothes moving echoed into his ear. That sound was definitely not there earlier.

Vincent thought it was rather ironic and partly comical that he chose the Haunted Hotel. He hadn't done it on purpose but it was the first thought to come to mind and he simply verbalized the choice. The place was as he remembered: made for children. It wasn't the least bit "spooky" but they did have some interesting toys, such as the puppet receptionist. He looked to the creaky, wooden overhead beams. Artificial webs hung from the hole-riddled ceilings, strung across the beams and ended at certain wall planks. A variable size of plastic, black spiders were placed here and there in the webs.

He looked up the double staircase. The dramatic effects of lightening flashed, revealing an open set of double doors and a long carpeted hallway. Beyond that and from where he stood, Vincent could see more doors. Must be the hotel rooms, he told himself. As he made his way across the unnecessarily grand foyer, a fact suddenly struck him – it was quite odd that there were no dead bodies – real dead bodies. He had suspected he'd find some in the ironically tagged hotel.

The upstairs hallway however, reeked of death the moment he reached the top of the staircase. Vincent lowered his head to hide his sensitive nose behind his high-rising cape collar. The door to the immediate right of the hall was ajar and he assumed the strongest scent must be wafting from that room. With a light nudge, the door swung open on it's squeaky hinges. The first thing that caught his eyes were the dead couple lying in their own pool of blood having been soaked into the deep mattress. Both their bodies were skewered and atop a royal purple comforter. Dried blood had been running off the man's leg and onto the silver colored carpet. Vincent debated whether or not he should make his way in or avoid trampling over evidence. Having once been a Turk, Vincent opted for the latter and turned to the next room.

Each room that he swung open had the same vulgar death. The only ones that seemed halfway decent were the unoccupied rooms that had yet to be remade before the next customer.

"What devilry has come through here?" he worded aloud.

A part of him was at a lost for words at the cruelty at hand. Who could be heartless enough to slaughter so many innocent victims? Was it done by deranged hands or was there a specific purpose? Maybe it was a deranged person or group harboring a warped sense of purpose?

He turned away from the ruby and black themed room and glanced at the T-intersection of the hall. More rooms led down both directions and the stench of blood was slightly fresher.

"It smells a miniscule more fresh on this end," Chaos articulated.

Vincent nodded at Chaos' insight. "We'll have to check all the rooms."

Chaos snorted. "It's all the same. Why take the time?"

"Because you'll never know what secrets may lie just beyond the next door."

His demon didn't respond for several seconds. Vincent thought his other half had agreed but instead, he spoke in his usual tease. "You'll find nothing that will change what's been done."

"Can't change what's been done, yes, we know that."

"Then, we should be regrouping, Vincent."

"What you are trying to tell me?"

There was a pause. "What makes you think I'm hinting at something?"

Vincent weighed the two sides of the coin. Chaos could be hinting at something the way he had before in the Midgard ruins, or he could simply be stating an opinion. Sometimes, he wished he could simply allow Chaos to take over so he could strangle Chaos from behind the scenes and see if the monster liked being on that end.

He didn't want to give Chaos the satisfaction of winning so instead, Vincent chose to do an in-between by quickly doing a survey of the remaining rooms on that floor and the rooms down on the main level, before he decided it was time to head back. After all, he did have survival instincts.

The Battle Square hadn't changed much since Rude last saw it in action a number of years ago. He remembered that he and Reno had decided to try it out for the sake of being mischievous and found themselves in the pinchiest of pinches. If it hadn't been for Rufus' coincidental walk-through, the pair might have been pushed into the prison under the Saucer. Rufus definitely wouldn't like the idea of "bargaining" for his little worker bees.

Rude eyed the scattered bodies of contestants and audiences alike. It was apparent to him that none were spared and the person or persons behind the assaults were quick, clean and thorough. Many of the bodies were sprawled side-by-side as if they never even saw what their fate was literally holding. He pictured the rambunctious crowd cheering from their seats as fighters competed against one another and the next thing they knew, their world was spun off course and the life drained from their warm bodies.

He crossed the large room, stepping over spread limbs here and there. One man was lying face down in the center of the arena wearing what appeared to be a simple, red battle underwear – or speedo, Rude didn't stare long enough to decide.

The sand-colored stone floors were sleek with fluids; blood and… Rude shook his head. He'd like to think of it as blood and sweat but there seemed to be more than that in the mix. He'd seen enough to know what happens to humans when they've expired long enough. He made a face and pinched his nose with one gloved hand as he eyed from one lump to another. The man in the middle of the whole area caught his attention again.

"Must be the red garment," he muttered under his breath.

Curiosity got the better of him and he ended up walking around to the far side so that he could see more of the man's features.

"No good," Rude simply commented.

There wasn't much else to say. Dio, manager of the Gold Saucer himself, was dead. Of what he knew about the man through files from Shinra, the man had few friends and many enemies. Those that loved him, served him well but those that didn't like him, well, he'd try his best to send them into prison with the power he had as an "employee" of the infamous Shinra Corporation - or at least in his personal views, renowned. But was one person capable of this much destruction? No, there had to be more than one person involved. Perhaps a unification of Dio's enemies?

Rude made a mental note to himself that he'd have to dig up some information on Dio again. It had been ages since the time Dio was hired and the time of his death. Perhaps his scale had finally been tipped and the sands of time had run out. He also made a mental check off of the obvious damages to the bodies.

"I really don't like how this place is nothing like my memories," Yuffie whined, clinging onto Tifa's arm. Why did she have to come back to such a happy place filled with fun memories and have them literally be sliced and diced into a bazillion pieces by some psycho?

Tifa kept her demeanor calm but her heart was racing. She'd seen a lot in her years but it just didn't quite measure up when her mind was racked with death every direction she turned, coupled with the pungent odor of blood, guts and more that invaded her sense of smell. "Just keep an eye out for anything suspicious. We'll need as much information as we can provide for Cloud."

"Alright."

"Pun aside, look on the bright side, Yuffie. At least it's vibrant and cheery in the background."

Yuffie understood that Tifa meant the insanely colorful display of rainbows and lights and sparkles that illuminated the race track. She tried keeping her attention on those colors to keep her mind from wandering from the job at hand.

"Tifa, that wasn't quite the reassurance I was hoping for. I'm getting distracted by all the colors and not focusing on finding clues," she admitted, then, "Ah! Materia!"

Before Tifa could stop her, Yuffie dashed into the distance and procured something shiny and green. From where she was standing, Tifa could tell that the lanky kunoichi was correct, someone had had possession of a Materia. But who? Everyone she'd seen so far didn't appear to be magic users but there really was no way to categorize who did and didn't either. It wasn't as if people wore signs that stated their battle abilities.

Yuffie was still admiring and polishing the semi-dull Materia when Tifa crouched by her side. She watched Yuffie hold up the marble to peer through using the bright lights of the race track. "What kind of magic is it, I wonder?"

Tifa shrugged. "Well, green Materia are usually more helpful than – "

-CLANK!-

Tifa instinctively somersaulted back, skidded to a halt and looked at Yuffie. The younger girl had a sheepish grin on her face behind a barrier. "Yuffie…"

"I… got curious so I activated it. Sorry."

The taller girl eased on her defense and straightened out. What was a Barrier Materia doing in the Gold Saucer? "Well Yuffie, I think you've food something of value."

"Of course Materia are valuable!"

"That's not what I meant." Tifa walked back over to the smiling girl and placed an arm around her shoulder. "Make sure you keep that safe. Cloud will be glad to see that evidence."

Yuffie's lips pouted as Tifa led them on again. "I can still keep it, right?"

Tifa wasn't sure if she should lie to Yuffie about keeping the evidence but she supposed that'd be all up to Cloud and the rest of the party. Suddenly, Yuffie let out a yelp and slid from Tifa's arm, landed on her bottom and bounced flat onto her back. Yuffie whimpered in pain. She had slipped on a small pool of blood from a victim's body. Tifa chuckled and reached down to help Yuffie but before the younger girl could reach for Tifa's helping hand, her eyes averted to the high ceilings above Tifa's head and she let out a blood-curdling scream.

"S-s-Sephiroth!"


	4. End of Eternity III

_Author's note: I'm not entirely sure if there are actual races in FFVII despite the fact that there are different… cultures such as Yuffie being from Wutai with an obvious Japanese surname and pagodas (which feels different versus the more familiar and technologically advanced cities such as Midgard), and with Barret being the only Black man I ever remember seeing, I thought I'd insert that Rude was designed with the idea of a South American descent – according to Nomura – while Nanaki is of a different species. So in that respect, I chose to refer to Rude as having Hispanic descent._

_Sanctum: the things you've pointed out are not news to me but I do thank you for your criticism._

_TheSessh25: Thank you for reading!_

_Disclaimer: I'm really not creative enough to form a group such as... what follows. _

[ III ]

Tifa jerked her head upward and quickly searched the ceiling, narrowing her eyes in an attempt to see past the pitch black. The ceilings were high enough that all the colors below couldn't illuminate it's vastness.

"I don't see anything," Tifa whispered.

Yuffie clung to Tifa for support as she stood, the backs of her arm and shirt stained with patches of blood. "Tifa? I want to go back to the others..."

"We haven't finished - "

"But I saw Sephiroth in the rafters!"

"Maybe it was a trick of the lights," Tifa tried to reason, though a little on edge herself.

Yuffie shook her head vigorously, "No! I saw him staring at me! At us! We can't face him alone, Tifa!"

Tifa wouldn't openly admit it in that situation but the idea of having been watched unaware was rather discerning. What if he really had been watching them all that time? She couldn't denounce that theory. It was highly plausible. With a deep breath and a visibly uncomfortable Yuffie at her side, Tifa nodded.

"We'll be quick and efficient and if we find nothing else of importance, we'll leave, alright?"

The poor girl seemed to debate about the proposed plan for a minute before she inclined. Tifa was right, it wasn't like either of them to abandon such important tasks in the middle. The idea strengthened Yuffie's resolve and with renewed endurance, the bounce waltz back into her steps.

The colossal Event Square sat empty. No bodies, no blood, nothing. Cloud swept his eyes from one end of the seating arena to the other. It was dead silent. Not a single abnormality. Directly in front of him was a Renaissance-age prop set. It reminded him of the play he once starred in with Aeris so many years ago. He couldn't remember how he got involved in the acting or how he was coerced into standing before an enormous crowd and played Knight in Shining Armor. The memory itself had grown hazy and he'd forgotten all about it until his gaze fell upon the stage.

A high-pitched scream echoed in the air, bringing Cloud back to the present. _That was definitely Yuffie's voice_, he thought. _Did something happen?_ He turned and dashed for the entrance. It slid shut thunderously before his face. He heaved a solid punch and kicked at the door but found that it wasn't an ordinary door. It was made of steel, had no doorknob and was slid shut on mechanical rails.

He cursed aloud, his right fist throbbing and reached for First Ken, but froze. Could he really destroy private property and risk being indebted to Shinra? _Was now even the time to think about that_? Just as he unsheathed First Ken, a high-pitched ringing pierced his ears. Cloud immediately dropped his sword back into the holster and covered both ears tightly with his palms. The ringing grew even higher in pitch and images of him, Barret and Jesse setting up bombs in Sector 5 flashed across his shut eyes. He was vaguely aware of falling onto his knees as he tried to suppress the knife-like pain in his head.

"Stop..." he breathed heavily, "Stop it..."

He winced as the sound raised in decibels and felt himself fall on his side - the same side which he'd fallen out of bed. Droplets of sweat dotted his forehead and his hands clutched roughly at his hair, unable to hold off the screeching. His mind whirled and distorted, repeated images of him suffering the same sound at Reactor 5's bridge and images of Sephiroth blurred into one. Then, things turned black.

_I hear... footsteps... heavy footsteps. They're approaching me._

"Who?"

_Someone..._

"Someone? Who?" 

_... It sounds familiar. _

"Like whose?"

_Like... like... someone I am very close to..._

"Sephiroth?"

_Yeah, like Sephiroth..._

"SEPHIROTH!" Cloud flung his right fist.

"Whoa! Calm down!"

Cid pinned Cloud down by the shoulders as the young blond writhed under his hold. "It's me, Cid!"

Cloud stopped his struggle and blinked several times. The haze obscuring Cid's face cleared and he saw the stubbled man with a lit cigarette between his lips. "Cid..."

The man nodded. "It's me, Spiky."

"Cid..." Cloud repeated. When Cid stared in anticipation, Cloud continued, "Your ashes are going to burn me."

The man laughed and promptly hopped off, leaving Vincent to hoist Cloud upright. Behind his usual crowd, Reno and Rude watched in unenthused silence.

Nanaki came to Cloud's side. "You were gone for over an hour so we grew concerned. What happened?"

Cloud swallowed tightly and turned to face the stage. _Did I black out for that long?_ He had been hiding the fact that Sephiroth had been on his mind lately and now seemed like the perfect opportunity to spill the beans. Maybe the dreams were paving way for his paranoia that would more than likely morph into hallucinations later on if he didn't face the troubles now.

"Are you okay?" It was Tifa. Her question gave Cloud room to avoid the previous one. He wanted to confess to the almost-tangible dreams but another part of him wanted to keep it a secret.

"Yeah, I think I just had a bad dream."

"Dreaming on the job eh? Someone's relaxed." It was Reno this time.

Cloud would've said something to Reno but changed his mind and chose to re-direct interrogations toward the subject that brought them all to the Gold Saucer in the first place. "Did anyone find anything?"

Several heads shook in the negative but Cloud caught the stolen glance that Tifa gave Yuffie. It was the kind of look that asked, "Are you going to tell?" Solemnly, the teen fessed up. She dug into her pockets, succeeded in alerting everyone with her shuffling and produced a green Materia. At first Cloud thought she had brought it from home but Yuffie told otherwise.

"Tifa and I found this by some dead bodies on the Chocobo track."

Cloud had only begun to reach for it when the Turks stepped forward simultaneously. Rude extended a clear bag between his gloved hands and held it open, simply staring at Yuffie. She clenched the green orb in her own hands and glared at Rude defiantly. At her reaction, Rude peered at Cloud through his shades. _Was it necessary for the guy to wear shades all the time? He couldn't possibly be just an extremely talented, legally blind man, could he?_ Cloud didn't think he had ever seen Rude without his trademark sunglasses but he could imagine that with the man being more or less of Hispanic background that he'd have brown eyes.

"Give him the Materia, Yuffie," Cloud agreed. "They're the actual investigators and we're only here to help."

The female ninja thinned her lips before heaving the Materia into Rude's bag. It wasn't as if a Barrier Materia was rare anyway, she consoled herself. Still, she couldn't help but to grimace inwardly at parting from the orb.

"Now that all's taken care of, we've to report to HQ. Party's over." Reno again.

"What about the prison?" Cloud questioned.

"Party's over," Reno repeated. "We'll deal with that another time."

No one appeared hesitant about leaving the graveyard behind. The Turks were the first to lead the way, followed by Barret, Nanaki, the girls, Cid and then Vincent. Cloud trailed behind, noting that the once immovable door was now slid all the way open, just the way it had when he first walked into the area. Had he imagined it all?

As they ascended to the rooftop, neither Reno nor Rude made any gestures for Cloud to follow. He gladly took it as a sign that his duty with those boys were over. Shortly after, the Shinra helicopter whirred to life and Reno's voice bounced through the intercom. "Re-entry is prohibited and punishable by Shinra authorities."

Barret snickered. "Shinra ain't nothin' nowadays."

The Turks took flight, leaving the group shrugging off Reno's warning and filed into the Highwind. From where Cloud stood, he could see the desert below spreading as far as his eyes could see until the blue silhouettes of Mount Coral disturbed the yellow sands. He silently hoped that in the least, the prison would be spared. The concept of death baking in the desert for days didn't sound pleasant even in his imagination.

"We need to contact Reeve." Cloud and the gang looked at Vincent who stood against the ship's interior.

Nanaki nodded. "You're correct, friend. Perhaps Reeve can provide us with more."

Vincent agreed with a nod into his high collar. "The problem is finding him." His eyes traveled to Cloud standing across from him.

Cloud sighed, turning his attention toward Cid who was readying the Highwind for take-off. "Reeve's a hard man to locate. His calls have always been encoded so I've never actually gotten his number."

"Why didn't ya just ask for it?" Barret chimed in, seating himself on a box of crates.

Cloud shook his head. "He went through the trouble of encoding it. I should respect his reasons."

"For a man like him, maskin' his whereabouts was probably a piece o' cake." Barret replied. He sauntered over to the windows to look down Highwind's sides as they lifted into the air, then turned to call over his shoulders. "Hey, Cid! Make sure ya keep this thing nice n' smooth. You know how Cloud and Yuffie gets if we hit too much turbulence!"

"When's the last time you heard from him?" Vincent queried, bringing the spike-haired blond back into the conversation.

"Quite a while. I haven't heard from him since I lost the previous phone."

"But I've given you the same number."

Cloud shrugged. "If he doesn't contact me, he doesn't."

Vincent fell into thought, ending the conversation. Tifa and Yuffie were discussing something quietly at the very bow of the ship, Barret had seated himself with his arms crossed and eyes closed, Nanaki was watching Cid navigate and conversing on a low level with him, so Cloud retracted a few steps and sat. He too, had things to discuss. With himself. He also needed to distract his mind of the ship's motions.

The four children were ecstatic to see the grown-ups returned. Per usual, Nanaki's pups had more to say than their little snouts could handle. Marlene was telling her father about a board game Denzel had shown her while Denzel stood aside and smiled shyly. If anyone knew better, they'd say the boy was developing a crush on the brave yet innocent girl who was always by his side. Cloud headed straight up the stairs and returned shortly with a black, leather trench coat.

"I'm gonna go see Zack. Keep your ears and eyes peeled for word of Reeve or Cait Sith," and he was out the door.

The team grew solemn for a moment until the unaware kiddies broke the morose moment with their new board game. Yuffie fidgeted in her seat at the bar stool before biting her lips and making up her mind. Evidently, she had been rolling the through around on the trip home.

"Guys... I have something I need to tell you."

Once again, the group froze in thought.

"I guess now isn't the best time but..." She quickly eyed all the young ones. "I saw_ him_."

Nanaki's ears perked up. "Him as in _him_?"

Yuffie nodded. "Yes. Tifa didn't believe me but I did see _him_."

Tifa waved her hands to interject. "I didn't say I didn't believe you. I was reasoning with your - "

"Delusion?" Yuffie finished sarcastically. It was obvious she felt a little snuffed.

"Your circumstances," Tifa corrected. "You hit your head pretty hard when you fell and there were lights all over the place. I just didn't want to jump to conclusions."

"Same thing. You still don't believe me."

Tifa slumped onto the bar counter, opposite Yuffie. The younger girl was letting the small misinterpretation turn into a giant rejection and Tifa knew that it was up to her to set things straight. "You're right. Accept my sincere apology, Yuffie."

"Accepted!" There was no space for hesitance in Yuffie's automatic reply. It almost sounded like she had expected to hear those words.

How nice it was to be so easily forgiven, Tifa smiled introspectively.

"And?" Cid urged, having paused at the door. He had meant to go outside for a smoke but Yuffie's confession had rooted him to the room.

"And... I'm fairly positive _he_ had been watching us the whole time. Call it instincts. When I screamed and looked at Tifa, then back, _he_ was gone. In an instant!"

The adults fell silent, save for the children resuming a board game. Though they knew that Marlene and Denzel were mature enough to probably eavesdrop, Nanaki's children were still too young in his kind's years. Misreading the silence as a form of uncomfortable rejection, Yuffie persisted.

"I'm serious!"

"Then all the more reason to find Reeve. He might be able to hack into the Gold Saucer's millions of security cameras," Vincent concluded. "We'll also know for sure who's behind all the senseless slaughter."

The team nodded.

Cloud rolled Fenrir to a skidding stop over the cliff as he usually did. Over the past few days, the trusty Buster sword had succeeded in slanting to it's right, casting an awkward crucifix-like shadow. He re-staked the sword and stood back, taking in the view of Midgard and Edge. Rufus' previous assumption may be true, he told himself. He couldn't imagine anyone else holding the level of power that was displayed at the Gold Saucer but it could still be the work of someone else as well. Someone else who was almost at his equal. His thoughts drifted to images of a former hot-headed First Class SOLDIER named Genesis Rhapsodos. Cloud didn't know Genesis well, but he had seen the man on several occasions during the times he hung around with Zack. Like Sephiroth, Genesis was a gifted child who had lived a glamorous life. He was greatly admired, extremely talented and shot up the SOLDIER ranks but became corrupted and eventually a threat to mankind.

... but that was a decade ago. Cloud was sure the man was gone just as Zack would never return.

As the dark thoughts concluded, Cloud was suddenly drilled by a ringing in his ears again. He covered both ears with his gloved hands, trying to deflect the noise from penetrating any further and squeezed his eyes shut. It didn't help. The ringing was inside his head and rose higher and higher. He involuntarily clenched his teeth and shook his head side to side, anything to draw away the noise. His entire head felt about to burst from the sound and his heart wanted to tear away from his chest. He grunted in pain and collapsed, knocking over the Buster sword and kicking Fenrir over. Then, as quickly as it began, it stopped.

Cloud's eyes were still shut and he could hear his laborious gasps echo around him. The pounding of his heart steadily slowed along with his breath. When his nerves had calmed, he opened his eyes and found himself staring directly as a setting sun that painted the sky a reddish-orange.

- RING! -

Cloud started at the sound of his phone going off in his side pocket. He stood slowly, dusting away at his side and pant legs. When he pulled out his phone, it was an unidentifiable number. His heart lept with hope.

"It's me," he answered dully, masking his relief and subsiding pain.

The voice on the other line wasn't who he'd expected. "Hello, Cloud. How have you been?"

"Rufus..."

"That would be me. I have a proposition for you."

Cloud thought about it. "About?"

"Call it a hunch but I have a feeling you'll be looking for Reeve. I know how to reach him."

In the back of Cloud's mind, he could see the blond heir pacing back and forth as he spoke - his way of commanding attention. "And what's the other part of your deal?"

Rufus chuckled amusingly before adding, "You come see me. Alone."

"There's no reason for me to see you."

"Oh but, you need to find Reeve as soon as possible, correct?" The smile on Rufus' face was evident in his voice.

"What do you want to see me for? We are on the phone. Whatever you have to say, say it." He pulled the Buster sword out and packed down the dirt with his boots before reinserting the sword into the soil.

"Time is wasting, Cloud."

"I'll consider your proposition," and he snapped his phone shut.

He reminded himself that Rufus was not to be taken lightly nor was he to be underestimated as he uprighted Fenrir. He stared at the sword and whispered a prayer that he hoped would be answered. "Please contact me soon, Reeve."

The group had just dispersed at the inn when the bar phone rang. Tifa hopped over to answer.

"7th Heaven, this is Tifa speaking. How may I be of service?"

There was a scratching noise.

"Hello? 7th Heaven, this is Tifa speaking," she repeated.

Still more scratching static. Tifa furrowed her brows. She was about to announce herself again for a third time when a voice came over the receiver. It was distorted by static and unclear so she wasn't able to identify the voice.

"I'm sorry, we are closed for the night and there's too much static so I can't hear you."

More static and then a voice trying to break through the noise. She could now make out a male voice.

"... Cloud..."

Tifa frowned. "Cloud? Is that you?"

"... there..."

"Cloud?"

Suddenly the distortion cleared and the voice made it through. "Tifa? It's me, is it okay if I just sleep over at Marlene's?"

It was Denzel. Odd, what was wrong with Barret's phone? "It's fine since you're already over there. Don't forget to brush your teeth."

Denzel thanked her and hung up. Tifa stood there unsure what to think. Pondering it over made eerie sense though, since the distortion made Denzel's voice very different. She'd have to let Barret know at a different time that his phone was going under.

Thinking of it no more, she decided to call Cloud instead. He hadn't contacted them yet and they haven't contacted him since he left either, to update on Reeve's whereabouts. Unsurprisingly, he didn't answer so she left him a brief message about none of them being able to locate Reeve. She cradled the phone and sighed. Cloud really needed to pick up that phone or it's just useless! Tifa shook her head and went up to bathe. He would contact them soon, she hoped.

The wood flooring creaked under Cloud's weight as he pulled his holster off and sat down. He leaned against the church wall and shut his phone. Tifa's voice message only stated the obvious - Reeve was yet to be found. _If only things were a bit easier_, he thought wishfully. The permanent pool of water shimmered under the moon's light. There was nothing else they could do at that point in time but hope that Reeve would somehow, call them instead.

Sleep overcame him easily, despite the unrest on his mind. It probably meant his body needed to recharge what he'd been neglecting. It didn't help much that his dreams have been a little on the disturbing side as of late. Before those ideas finished passing through his thoughts, he found himself in a surreal place. He was back home in Nibelheim, standing by the front doorway and his mother was standing in the kitchen cooking a meal.

_Mom?_

"Cloud, have you found a girlfriend yet?"

Cloud shook his head. It felt like this conversation was had one too many times before. He stared at his mother's back. "I..."

Suddenly he found himself staring in disbelief at his mother's blood-soaked corpse. She laid dead, facing someone's leather clad boots. _Sephiroth!_

"Why did you - "

Boiling anger rose to his head and overflowed. He charged at the smirking man, unable to finish his angry words. Sephiroth had just killed his mother in cold blood. How can he do such a thing!

Cloud swiped at Sephiroth with the Buster sword. In a retaliation movement too quick for Cloud's watering eyes, the Buster sword was flown out from his grip, leaving him open. Just as fast, Sephiroth slashed across Cloud's chest. Blood spurted from the gash and spilled over the floor between their feet where his mother was no longer lying. The realization hit Cloud and he gasped at the non-existent body, unprepared for Sephiroth's next move. With no hesitance, the ex-General stabbed cleanly through Cloud's chest, skewering him in mid-air.

Cloud coughed deeply and sputtered blood. Sephiroth drew his arms back, bringing Cloud closer to him and smiled joyously at the desperately writhing boy. Then, he sent Cloud flying off his sword and crashing into the far wall with a fierce kick. Cloud defenselessly smashed into the concrete and fell with a splattering thud, face down onto the equally hard floor. He groaned loudly and coughed again, blood seeping from his mouth. His eyes were blurred from both the pain and tears. Sephiroth's footsteps clanked over the floor as Cloud struggled to turn over. When he finally felt the cold floor beneath his back, the silver-haired man was already standing over him.

Cloud's eyes focused in and out. He wanted to stand up and fight. _Fight Sephiroth!_ But his fingers had turned cold and were numbed. Sephiroth raised Masamune, point down and staked. The burning sensation in his chest forced Cloud to jerk awake, covered in sweat. He rubbed at his chest where Sephiroth had stabbed on more than one occasion. It was burning a hole through to the other side. At least it felt like it.

He glanced up at the full moon. He must've fallen asleep for a few hours because the smell of dawn was in the air. In front of him, the pool was still shimmering, beckoning him so he knelt over it and splashed his face several times. The coolness of the water eased some of the burning in his chest. He splashed a few more times over his face and neck, and shook the water off his hair.  
><em><br>What was that dream?_

It wasn't an event that occurred in the past - at least not to his memory. _Did it happen before?_ Cloud wasn't sure. He did have a serious case of identity crisis for a while. _Was that Zack's memories?_ No, he doubted it. He shook his head again.

_These dreams need to stop! They're going to drive me insane again!_

Unable to fall back to sleep, Cloud gathered up First Ken. The search for Reeve was a priority that was posing a challenge - a challenge that they had to meet.


	5. End of Eternity IV

_Author's note + disclaimer: I don't know... perhaps I should've placed a big SPOILERS ALERT tag from the beginning. In any case, if you haven't yet played the game and plan to, I apologize. Then again, I'm positive I'm not the first to dash anything._

_Any crossovers were completely coincidental and unintended… Oh and yes, I completely wash my hands clean of any ownership of characters, events and anything else that does not belong to me in this fanFICTION._

[ IV ]

"Thank you, please, come again!" Tifa bowed off a customer and ignored the phone in the upper level to bid the man a farewell. The phone was ringing off its hook and she had only managed to grab it before the answering machine activated. "Strife Delivery Service - "

"Yo, Tifa. I need to speak with Cloud."

"He's unavailable at the moment. Care to leave a message?" She readied a pen and paper from atop the impeccably organized desk.

"No. I'll try again but if you see him before I do, tell him to call me," and with those words, the red-headed Turk disconnected the line.

Why was Reno looking for Cloud again? Did they find results to the Gold Saucer? Or was it a call to check out the prison?

As she pondered, the front door opened and closed audibly so she stepped back down the stairs. Vincent and Barret both crossed the room and took a seat at the bar where the previous customer had occupied. When Tifa appeared at the bottom of the steps, they exchanged salutations and she slid behind the counter.

"Anything to drink?"

Both men shook their heads.

"Where are the little ones?" she inquired, reaching for a terry cloth to wipe the counter.

"At Barret's. Nanaki and Yuffie are babysitting the bunch," Vincent nodded. "But I'm sure the only babysitter there would be Nanaki since Yuffie's turned into a child herself, with the board game they're playing."

Tifa raised an eyebrow. "What's with that board game?"

"You'd have ta play it to understand," Barret replied. "I feel like I've lost my little girl. To a stinkin' board game!"

Tifa smiled softly. "Let her enjoy it. There are few things in life that truly make us happy so finding something that made her happy is a good thing."

"Well, I'm not happy!"

At that, Tifa laughed aloud. "Oh, Barret, sooner or later, you're going to have to learn to let her go. Better start practicing!"

The man crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly. "Not while I'm alive!"

Vincent, who had been sitting silently, placed a hand on Barret's shoulder briefly, then removed it. No one said a word after Vincent's condoling, but they all knew what was on his mind. As friends, the group knew the tale of a Shinra scientist named Lucrecia Cresecent, a young Turk's love for her and the ending that was not resolved favorably. It was worse knowing that the man who wreaked havoc among The Planet was none other than your beloved's son. Letting go was a huge task.

Tifa found herself lingering on the edge of sadness and sorrow when those memories resurfaced so before letting the whole atmosphere sink into them, she changed the topic at hand to something she figured a bit less distressing. "So, how'd it go for you guys? Any news on Reeve?"

Barret shook his head slowly. "Nothin'. I've been askin' 'round all morning in town an' no one's spotted Reeve's mug or the cat."

"Nothing here either," Vincent agreed. "I'm going to pay a visit to Midgard as soon as I finish up here."

Tifa cocked her head to the side. "Midgard?"

"He may be hiding there. I doubt the man wouldn't be privy to Shinra business some way or another," Vincent shrugged as if it were no big deal.

The trio fell into individual thought. Unwilling to let the air around them turn sour again, Tifa broke the silence. "I'll close the place up and head to Kalm as soon as I can."

Vincent nodded once and both him and Tifa side-glanced at the remaining man. Barret rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"I s'pose I have no other real option. I'll get more updates here, then head out ta Fort Condor, but..."

"We have babysitters, Barret. Don't worry," Tifa smiled at him.

"No, what I meant was, it'll take some time ta get there an' that could mean days..."

"Not if Cid flies you."

Barret did a quick turn to Vincent. All the forlornness that had devoured his features were now lit up in expectancy. "You're a freakin' genius, ol' white-face!"

Vincent stared hard at Barret. It'd been a long time since Barret called him that and he couldn't decide how to digest those words. Besides, when Barret had called him "white-face" once, it wasn't exactly a compliment. He wasn't sure if it was now either.

As if reading Vincent's inner dilemma, Tifa waved both hands defensively. "We'll take that comment as you unable to control your excitement."

"Damn straight! Imma go find that hide-an'-seeker an' I'll report if things change." With more gusto, Barret flew out the door with his phone in hand, dialing Cid's number.

Tifa grinned awkwardly at Vincent. "I think he was just happy."

Vincent grunted in reply, not having yet decided on the white-faced comment. "If you don't need anything from me, I'm headed out too. Call if anything comes up and I'll do the same."

"Let's start there," Chaos suggested, eyeing the vertically challenged chain-linked fence that once barred the outside world from Midgard's Sector 7.

Vincent caught a glimpse of a flattened barrier that had been trampled over one too many times. He imagined many people had come and gone through that fence, ignoring its purpose. An incomplete bridge was suspended in the towering distance. He couldn't tell if the bridge was left unfinished or if it was simply broken. He gazed into the calamity of Midgard and continued on foot, the gold metals of his shoes clinking eerily as he approached the dead city.

Were there still people living inside Midgard? He didn't know. He knew that there were homeless and burglars that roamed the different Sectors, but that was all. As he continued, not straying from the center of his path, he was met with a dead-end. This must be rubble from the plate and the surroundings that once was Sector 7, he thought.

Chaos suddenly stirred uneasily as Vincent's mind wondered at the sights before them. He perceived it as Chaos' reaction to the gruesome images in his imagination about the thousands of innocents smashed like grapes, forever buried under the plate, never to be given a proper goodbye. He never knew for sure who's brilliant idea it was to flatten an entire Sector but he knew for sure that Shinra was behind it in an effort to literally crush AVALANCHE.

Chaos paced around restlessly in his mind so Vincent shook off the images. There was a man-made hole at one of the far concrete walls big enough for an adult to crouch through.

"It might be a trap, you know, muggers and all," Chaos warned.

"What do you suggest?"

Chaos tapped an imaginary chin. "Use your abilities. We both know you're extremely agile."

At the comment, Vincent couldn't help but smirk. Being two sides of the same coin had its advantages and disadvantages. Without further ado, Vincent took three swift leaps upward and landed gracefully on top of more scraps. From atop that tall of a pile, he suddenly wasn't quite sure where to start. Then again, he hadn't really formulated a detailed plan other than to search the area.

He strolled along the heaps of unrecognizable metal and wood. There were sporadic areas where some people had built fires and some areas that seemed hiding spots for the nightfall.

"Probably the muggers," Chaos inputted.

Vincent ignored the comment and continued, analyzing his surroundings. It wasn't long before he came to a drop off and hopped down. It was shadowy down there, being surrounded by large structures of twisted steel.

"I don't think you'll find anyone this way. What exactly should we be keeping our eyes opened for?"

"Muggers," Vincent replied.

Chaos let out a roaring laughter that resounded in Vincent's mind like a beast coupled with a man's voice. "Good one, Vince. Good one."

"Alert me if anything looks or feels suspicious."

"Oh. Well, I'd hate say this but I've been meaning to tell you since we arrived that I felt something suspicious."

Vincent looked left and right at a four-way intersection. All directions, including where he stood, was cluttered with scraps. It felt like being lost in a jungle. "Like what?"

Chaos smiled inwardly. "Well, for one, there's been someone following us since we got here."

"Muggers?"

"Can we get over the mugger joke?" Chaos made a disgusted face.

"I wasn't joking. You were the one talking about muggers."

Vincent felt Chaos contemplate an idea before he let out. "I suppose if I say a tall man in a long, black trench and Masamune has been watching us, you'd know what to do."

"Sephiroth?" Vincent's guard shot up and he withdrew Cerberus from his side. All three barrels clicked into motion, readying themselves as he carefully surveyed his surroundings.

The demon within shrugged nonchalantly, mirroring his earlier response about Reeve. "Precisely."

It was early evening when Cloud arrived at the small fishing village below Junon. He dismounted and strolled Fenrir alongside as he wove his way around curious residents. The once tiny village was now twice the size he recalled. There was definitely more houses and with it, more people. It wasn't overcrowded or a bad thing, in fact, Cloud felt slightly amused at the sights. Even flowers had begun to bloom sporadically in patches of growing grass and the waters of Junon Beach were less filthy. From where he stood, he caught the faint flickering of fish scales below the water's surface. _What a difference a few years with no Shinra authority could do_, he thought with a shake of his head.

He then turned to his right. There had been a young girl named Priscilla that had helped him ascend to Junon back then. _Does she still live there?_ He wasn't sure if he should greet her due to the strange obligation he felt she had toward him about marriage.

Pushing unpleasant pasts aside, Cloud rolled Fenrir onto the sliding elevator at the foot of Junon. Memories of the battle between Sister Ray and Sapphire Weapon filled his mind and with it, faint recollections of the destruction of Diamond Weapon. Cloud had never verbalized it but he had felt awful for the Weapons. It was in their nature to protect The Planet and dispose of what threatened it so part of him felt saddened at their deaths. He exited the elevator and stared at the vacant spot where the Sister Ray cannon once sat. It felt so long ago yet at the same time, it felt so terribly close.

Fenrir's loud motor was quickly drowned into an almost inaudible whisper as he rode into Junon's bustling streets. He was mildly surprised to see that the military city had grown much livelier than he remembered. Pedestrians, bikes and motorized vehicles alike were sharing the roads with a plethora of sounds fused into a steady noise.

He let loose an unenthused whistle. It was going to be either very hard to find any one person in that populous of a city, or easy, depending on the amount of information he'd come across. Cloud stopped the nearest pedestrian. He had to start somewhere.

"Excuse me, sir."

A man in a plain red shirt and jeans looked up from playing with his phone without verbally acknowledging Cloud.

"Have you seen a robotic talking cat with a large stuffed animal?" _Wait, that sounded horrible_.

The man blinked at the curious question and narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "No..."

_Great_, Cloud thought, _It did sound crazy_. "How about a man in dark clothes and a goatee? Looks like he could be a Turk?"

"No." The man repeated. He pushed his way past Cloud and Fenrir, glancing at Cloud as he did so.

_This was not going to be easy..._

Failed attempts after failed attempts left Cloud feeling dejected. After several more unfavorable turnouts, Cloud spotted a street vendor who was merely people-watching behind his stall of fruits. The pot-bellied man was selling only one kind and Cloud noticed that they were large, odd looking apples that appeared to be purplish. _Or rotting_, he added pessimistically. He shut off Fenrir's engine and rolled the bike toward the stand.

"How about that, eh?" The man stood and waved his arms to display the fruits when Cloud approached. "They're genuine. All others are fake. Only 30,000 Gil an apple!"

"Isn't that a bit much for just apples?" He couldn't help but say it.

The man frowned lightly. "They're not just apples, son."

Someone stepped to Cloud's right, hovered a hand over the purple fruit but stopped. The person seemed to hesitate and turned to look at Cloud's profile. "They're Dumbapples."

"Dumbapples?" Cloud turned to face the stranger and immediately frowned. There was no one there.

"Exactly, son! They're rare, authentic Dumbapples! 30,000 Gils each," the shopkeeper restated.

Had he imagine it or was there someone standing next to him before? _No, the person must have just passed by_. "Dumbapples, huh? I've never heard of it before..."

"Yes, you have."

Cloud whirled around. Someone's breath was still fresh and warm over his sensitive ear yet no one was to be found out of the ordinary. _What's going on?_

He shook his head. "I'm sorry sir, I'm actually looking for someone. Have you seen a man about my size, in a dark attire and goatee? He'd resemble a Turk."

The man looked to his right thoughtfully, furrowing his brows. "I can't say I have. Or I may have. Your description's too vague. It could be anybody."

"Well, how about a robotic cat riding a stuffed animal?" Cloud hated that question more.

"No, but if strange is what you're looking for, I did see a man early this morning heading out of town. Hm..." the man seemed to be searching his memory. "He had extremely long, silver hair and a ridiculously long blade."

Cloud's eyes widened at the description.

"He's quite unforgettable even for a man like me. Tall. Handsome face with green eyes. His presence was very commanding," the man finished with a nod.

"Which way did he - "

- PINNNNNNG! -

Cloud clutched at the sides of his forehead, wincing. The ringing had returned in full blast. The pavement below his feet blurred in and out, doubling and tripling. The shop owner peered at him and Cloud saw the man's lips moving, noticed the concerned look on the man's face but he couldn't hear anything or focus. Cloud felt his eyes roll up, threatening to black him out and just so, the last thing he saw was the cementing by his face and the many pairs of feet facing him, wondering what had happened.

_"They're Dumbapples."_

_"They only grow in Banora."_

_"It was Genesis' dream to eat them with Sephiroth."_

_"Banora is gone. There are no more Banora Whites."_

_"They're rare, authentic Dumbapples! 30,000 Gils each!"_

The distant sound of traffic and the murmuring of people gradually stirred Cloud from slumber. As his mind cleared, he remembered speaking with a street vendor selling the extinct fruit and then the ringing attack. He sat up hastily, aware of the unfamiliar room.

"He's awake, mom!" Bared feet pattered away.

Cloud quickly examined the small room. It was more or less the size of Denzel's room and the bed he was lying on was a small twin-sized. To his right was a rickety wooden nightstand with an old, yellowed lampshade. First Ken was propped upright in front of the stand and in the partly opened window, the sky was murky and distant chattering hummed through. _What time is it?_

"Hello, sir," a female approached gently from the doorway to his left. There was a boy slightly older than Denzel standing before her. Both wore ragged, murky colors that matched the surroundings. They remained at the doorway.

"Hello," Cloud replied, shifting out of bed.

"My son and I saw what happened and we brought you here." The female explained. "Oh, but I apologize if - "

"No, no. Thank you. I appreciate your kindness."

"We also brought your bike. It's sitting outside. There were lots of people touching it so my son figured we should bring it along with us."

The boy smiled widely. "What's your name?"

"Cloud." He bent over to straighten out the sheets but the mother stopped him by gently placing a hand on top of the covers at the foot of the bed.

"Don't worry about making the bed. Are you hungry?" She looked at Cloud timidly.

The mother was a petite woman, small and shorter, about Yuffie's size. "My name is Terra," she placed both hands over the brown-haired boy's shoulders, "and this is my son, Sora."

Sora grinned. "My mom's the best cook. Even if you're not hungry, you should pretend you are or you'll be missing out on the meal of a lifetime."

"In that case, if it's not too much trouble..." Cloud nodded in acceptance. It was partly out of feeling a small pang of hunger and partly as his way of not appearing rude by denying something that seemed to make both the lovely people beam with pride.

Terra bowed her head and whispered to Sora, telling him to show Cloud around the house like a gentleman. He nodded and looked back at Cloud as his mother left the room.

"Um... we don't have much but my mom always makes delicious meals. I hope you'll agree." Sora's blue eyes sparkled, reminiscing about the delectable food.

Cloud smiled and squatted to level his eyes with the boy. "I can already tell it's going to be a meal I'll never forget!"

"You bet!" Then, his eyes downcasted. "You know, my mom once told me that she had dreamed of running a restaurant."

Cloud stared, waiting for the boy to continue. When the boy simply stared back, Cloud prodded. "What stopped her?"

"Well," he backed onto the bed with a sad expression. "My dad died and my mom became absorbed in mending her broken heart."

"How did he die?" Cloud suddenly regretted asking such a personal question but there was no way to stop since it was already out. Backtracking on words already spoken was as effective as decorating an insult so he chose not to rescind the inquiry.

"My dad was a SOLDIER and he died chasing a deserter out on that one cliff outside of Midgard. That happened back when I was a baby."

Cloud felt his blood drained and pooled at his feet. It sounded all too familiar. The boy's father was one of the thousands of SOLDIERs dispatched to kill Zack and himself. A mixture of anger, disbelief and sadness overwhelmed him as he locked eyes with the innocent child. No, he wouldn't let the past change how appreciative he was of this mother and son for bringing him to safety. They had nothing to do with the tragedy and the father was only following orders. He won't let the past influence his judgment! He cleared the lump in his throat softly. "I see. I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's okay. I'm the man of the house so I'll take care of my mom." Sora forged a smile. "I'll work hard to open a restaurant for my mom one day."

Cloud studied the boy with adoring eyes. There was something about the kind and caring aura surrounding the boy that made him want to pull him into a deep, heart-felt hug. As if absorbing Cloud's feelings, Sora reached for Cloud's hand and squeezed it lightly.

"I'll show you around the house, Cloud."

Cloud thanked the teenaged girl behind the cake shop register and grabbed the white plastic bag. He had been wondering all day how he could show his gratitude toward Terra and Sora when he spied a beautiful strawberry decorated cake sitting on display. Without further ado, he ordered one while continuing his blind search for Reeve.

It had already been a number of days since they returned from the Gold Saucer. By some holy act of goodness, he hoped the bodies have been cleared out, though he knew it wouldn't be the easiest of tasks with thousands of victims. He suddenly remembered the missed calls from Reno and dug out his phone as he stepped out of the bakery. Indeed, Reno had left him a voicemail for each call. He pressed for voicemail and placed the phone to his ear, strolling back to Fenrir's side.

"Yo, this is Reno. Call me back." Cloud went to the next voicemail.

"Uh, it's Reno. Call me back at this number."

"It's me again, yo. Still waiting for that call!"

"Where are you, man? Call me back!"

"Ahem. Uh, this is Rude. Reno wants you to call him as soon as possible."

Cloud sighed and snapped his phone closed. Yeah, he should call the red-head back but first, he wanted to give the lovely cake to Sora and his mother. It may have been a while since they ate one seeing as they were poor and lived off mostly scrap meals. Sora was right, Terra did make a luscious meal out of just small things.

Fenrir roared to life as he readied to leave. There had been another idea which had been brewing in his mind since he spoke with Sora about his mother's fallen dream. He wanted to ask if they were willing to relocate to Edge and help Tifa run her place. They'd have a place to stay and work, Terra would be the cook, and Cloud could always find his own place to live. He didn't think Tifa would mind. After all, it'd be more hands on deck and a larger, updated menu.

The sun was setting in the horizon and had painted the skies in red and purple hues. The clouds were still dark as if threatening to pour any second. He cranked up the speed on Fenrir, feeling a mixture of excitement and anxiety as he headed toward the home of Terra and Sora.

The wooden planks-for-a-door sat ajar. Thinking nothing of it, Cloud unhooked the bag with the cake off the handle bars of the bike and walked briskly to the opened doorway. He hadn't thought of what he'd say when he presented the cake or how he'd present the dessert, so with a heavy sigh, he brushed the door open the rest of the way.

The cake in his gloved hand plopped onto the dirty cement at his feet, a few strawberries rolled away. Several yards from the entrance laid Terra, blood splattered over her unmoving form and the immediate area surrounding her. Cloud dashed inside, his heart pounding dangerously within his chest.

"Terra!" he turned her over. Her eyes were half-closed, her pupils had dilated and her paled skin was cold. Blood matted her long, brown hair to her cheeks. There was a vegetable soup dish spewed across the hard floor.

Cloud gritted his teeth. _Who could have..._

"Sora?" he called aloud. "Sora!"

Not receiving a reply, Cloud set Terra's lifeless form down and raced from one small bedroom to the other. Both were empty. The bathroom was empty as well. He rushed to the back door and found it open. He cursed under his breath, knowing what to expect. Out in the small backyard where Terra grew some herbs, the boy laid face-down in a bed of blood-stained cilantro.

"Sora!" He hastily knelt over the dark soil, grabbed the boy and pulled him up to his knees. "Sora..."

Like his mother, Sora was cold. Cloud grimaced, tears pooling at the brims of his eyes until Sora's left arm rolled off his knee. Cloud blinked away the tears when he saw the intricate carvings on the boy's bloodied torso. He recognized the scrawled handwriting right away.

"It's been a long time, Cloud."

Cloud bit his bottom lip as he eyed the slit writing. Specks and pieces of rage began to form in his chest and when it became too full to contain, he raised his head skyward and let out a battle cry.


	6. End of Eternity V

_Author's note: Long story shortened to the best of my wordy abilities, I've posted both IV and V at the same time since I won't be around Thanksgiving weekend (and also because V is pretty short). I'll be out of town. I hope you have a beautiful Thanksgiving!_

_Author's note #2: I've had several "anon"s ask me via email (I thought I turned that option off? Oh well... I don't really mind) if this fic will contain yaoi, when and who. The answer is: Yes, there will be some male on male/yaoi/homosexual (male) shebangs, but as I am not writing a PWP, it's not blatantly pointed out so until then, let's be patient at the tameness =) As to when and who, well, we'll have to wait and see! And as always, thank you for reading!_

_Disclaimer: NO!_

[ V ]

It was the wee hours of the morning when Cloud arrived in Kalm. He had spent the rest of the previous night putting Terra and Sora to rest in the small graveyard of the small fishing village below Junon. The villagers obliged him without a fuss to which he was thankful and without sleep, Cloud paid to be flown back to Midgard. When he arrived, instead of going home, he rode back out to Kalm.

He sat on the edge of the bed in the inn, stared at his phone and finally dialed out. Reno answered on the third ring.

"Hello?" Cloud heard the sleep in Reno's voice.

"It's me."

There was a shuffling. Reno had sat up in bed upon hearing Cloud. "So you finally decided to call, and at the dead hours of the morning?"

"Sorry."

"You better be. I was having a nice dream, yo."

It was hard for Cloud to imagine but he went on with business. "What did you need?"

Reno let out a dramatically long sigh. "The Boss wanted to meet with you to discuss some important findings on the Gold Saucer."

"What is it?" Cloud stared at the off-white wall between two drawers.

"I'll have him call you. But I should warn you, for the love of my own sanity, that you shouldn't take the Boss lightly."

"I'll decide how to deal with him. Have him call me right away or I'm going to be busy."

"Doing what?"

"Things that require me ignoring you and your Boss."

Reno held out his free hand before him, palms outward. "Chill, yo. He just wants to talk. I think."

Cloud snapped the phone shut and threw it on the bed and laid back. He really should call the others and check on their progress and also to let them know he was fine. Maybe it was a little too early yet to wake them up. He decided he'd wait an hour but changed his mind. Just as he reached for the phone again, it rang. An unidentified number lit up on the screen. He flipped the phone open and waited.

"Cloud, good morning."

"Rufus." He returned the exchange with a light nod of his head.

"I'm elated at the opportunity to finally speak with you. Reno made quick with me. You're a hard man to please, Cloud."

Cloud sat silently, phone pressed to his ear.

"My proposition still stands, Cloud. Allow us to meet alone, and I'll hand Reeve over to you. Or at least get him to contact you. I've heard you've been in a very difficult situation very recently. My condolences."

For just that moment, even though it was Rufus, Cloud wanted to just fall completely into the man's sympathy and whine a little about the unfair death of two innocent people and how he felt he was being crushed alive by an unseen force but he closed his eyes instead. He counted to ten and reopened them. Rufus was not the man to turn to, even if he were the last man striding around The Planet.

"Oh, I also have some things that you'll be exceptionally thrilled to see," Rufus continued. "But you'll have to agree to my terms."

"Just get on with it," Cloud ushered.

"Is that a confirmation?"

Cloud whirled the thought around in his head and nodded. "Go on."

"Excellent. Tonight at eight. Come alone to the old Headquarters. Reeve will contact you shortly."

"In Midgard?" He sat up. _Didn't Diamond weapon destroy it? _He laughed softly to himself. Of _course Shinra would reconstruct it at some point_, he thought almost bitterly.

"It's a date then, Cloud. I look forward to seeing your handsome, stoic face."

He disliked the fact that Rufus was getting his way. The man knew how to get things done, that's for sure. Cloud's phone rang for a second time. An encrypted number showed up and Cloud reached for the phone faster than he'd ever done in his life.

"Reeve!"

"It is I. So Rufus has finally gotten a hold of you," Reeve stated.

"Yes, he has. What can you tell me about the Gold Saucer?"

Reeve seemed to ponder the pros and cons of the information he was holding and when he made up his mind, he said something that Cloud hadn't expected. "For the record, I had intended to call you the day of the incident but Rufus had a hold of me. He wanted you to see the damages and hoped you'd come to a conclusion of some sort. Afterward, he asked me not to contact you about any information. Shinra privacy, you know."

Cloud clenched and unclenched his fists. He wanted to scream, "To hell with Shinra!" but opted to keep his cool. "What was he hoping I would find? Sephiroth? I don't find him. I never have and never will. He finds me."

"Which leads me to my next point. Rufus will show you some footage from the Gold Saucer. You'll be pleasantly surprised."

_So, Rufus was indeed a step ahead of the game._ "I don't believe 'pleasant' would be the correct word, Reeve."

"No matter. You watch yourself, Cloud. I'll send Cait Sith out to let the others know you're okay and explain things."

"Thanks." Cloud felt a little relieved, as small as it was, because he didn't feel up to explaining things to the crew and have them all come along with him and having Rufus call off their deal. "Just... make sure you don't tell them til after the fact. I can't have them barging in and make Rufus withdraw."

"Of course," Reeve acknowledged, "and if you need anything else, Cait Sith will be around. Goodbye."

Cloud was left staring at the silent phone. He could only hope that Cait Sith was around long enough and often enough for them to actually keep in contact with Reeve. He wished he could simply ask where the man was located and how to contact him besides waiting for him to do the contacting, but as he verbalized before, he felt that Reeve wanted things that way so he respected the man's rights.

Just as Cloud decided he would take a long-overdue nap before getting into business, his phone rang yet again. He glanced at the caller ID and saw Reno's name. Without thinking much of it, he picked up.

"It's Reno. Uh, I just thought that as fellow... warriors that I should warn you about tonight, yo."

"What?"

"Well, The Boss suspects Sephiroth may show up one way or another, according to his calculations so, just a friendly neighborhood Turk warning."

Cloud didn't smile or laugh at Reno's cheeriness. Instead, he frowned. Was that the "surprise" that both Rufus and Reeve had mentioned? He regretted not having the two men elaborate on that when he had the chance to.

"Thanks," and the conversation ended as easily as it began.

After taking a hot shower in the inn and helping himself to a light complimentary brunch, he was ready to once again, face the day. Outside, Cloud was swiftly met with confusion as the people of Kalm were flustered here, there and about. People were in deep conversations with worried expressions. If it were one or two people, he wouldn't have guessed anything was afoot but having seen the majority of the population in some kind of disquieting mood made him curious.

"Get your daily Edge! Only a handful of copies left!" A middle-aged man was waving around a stack of newspapers as he spoke into a megaphone. Seeing the loudspeaker, Cloud quickly wondered if Cait Sith had already begun his journey from wherever he was.

"I'll take one," Cloud said as he neared the man.

"3,000 Gil," the man answered, holding out a tin can filled with Gils.

Cloud dug out some Gils from his pocket and handed him the 3,000 Gils in exchange for the paper and quickly flapped the paper open. In large, bold letterings, the headline read, "MASSACRE AT GOLD SAUCER REVEALED TO BE WORK OF EX-GENERAL SEPHIROTH?"

He hastily skimmed the columns, stating that footage was found on surveillance cameras of the ex-General, thought to have been dead over a decade ago. _But didn't the people realize that Sephiroth had been back two years ago and even before that?_ He halted his thoughts as he realized, only those directly involved knew the truth behind all the things that went on. The regular citizens of the world probably didn't know what really caused all the destruction in the past. He started wondering too, how many people may have actually witnessed the Weapons that had appeared on The Planet years ago, and how it caused the ruin of both Midgard and Mideel, though the latter suffered most greatly.

He shook the thoughts away and returned to the paper. There was a still image of what appeared to be the shape of a man with long, flowing silver hair and a familiarly long Masamune in the far corners of the camera's field of vision. Cloud pulled the image closer to his face, trying to see it clearer but the pixelations only grew, defeating his purpose.

Toward the end of the article, some of Cloud's thoughts were answered. There were detailed explanations about a being called Jenova, beings called Cetras, what had happened at the Nibelheim Reactor (excluding Sephiroth's conclusion that he was made by Shinra), what went on in Nibelheim, and the death of Sephiroth. Then it went on to talk of Shinra's bravery in Midgard that resulted in a one-on-one with the Mako powered Sister Ray and Diamond Weapon. It also carried on about Sephiroth's defeat at the Northern Crater by the Weapons that the Cetras had left to protect The Planet. It was not very surprising that Shinra had left out a lot of details that pertained to themselves and their wrong-doings. Cloud and his friends were also removed from the equation; possibly in an effort not to have to fill in unnecessary plot holes that the world didn't need to know. Or at least that's what Shinra believed.

He folded up the paper and looked around once more. There were some people huddled here and there, reading over each other's shoulders about the news they had been deprived of for so long. He turned and went for Fenrir. It was still too early to head to Midgard so he decided to return home, hoping that Cait Sith hadn't made it there yet. And if he did, Cloud would just have to remind the cat not to mention his meeting later that night.

Late afternoon rolled around when Vincent marched into 7th Heaven. He seemed a little distressed to Tifa's observant eyes but she didn't ask. He walked past Tifa and into their dining area but instead of seating himself, he went to the far wall and leaned against it in silent contemplation. The door opened and closed and Tifa saw Barret saunter in, obviously in a down mood. She summed it up as neither of them having had any luck finding Reeve or Cait Sith. When Barret saw Vincent standing in the next room, he joined the man and sat at the table with his arms folded over his chest.

"Can I get you guys anything?" Tifa asked from behind the counter.

"Nah," Barret grumbled.

Vincent shook his head.

The front door swung open and closed behind Cloud, lighting up Tifa's face. "Cloud!"

Both men looked up upon hearing Cloud's name and peered around the corner to the front door. Sure enough, the blond was standing there in the flesh. He too, seemed to be weighing something on his mind, Tifa noticed.

"Sorry guys, I thought I'd come back in person. Reeve contacted me this morning," Cloud announced half-heartedly.

All eyes enlarged and all three voices queried him at the same time about what was new and what Reeve had to say about the situation. Cloud pulled the folded paper from his back pocket and held it out.

"I was in Kalm this morning and everyone seemed on edge. Especially here, with this high of a population, word gets around faster."

Tifa grabbed the paper first and took it back to the bar counter to read aloud so all of them could hear. Vincent was calm throughout the whole article but Barret was his usual hot-tempered self, pounding the counter top, scoffing and pacing. Every once in a while he'd make a comment that made the rest of the guys glad that the children weren't there.

"That does look like Sephiroth. A little," Tifa commented at the picture.

Vincent nodded in agreement. "It would make sense."

"For cryin' out loud, doesn't he know when ta stay dead? No one wants him around!"

Cloud finally joined them at the counter. While Tifa was reading the article, he had been debating whether he should tell them about Terra and Sora. He felt the urge to let his friends know that those two loving people had once lived and lived a beautiful life. He wanted other people to know about them having existed. He missed the chance when Vincent spoke.

"I was being watched the other day while I was scouring Midgard."

Cloud noticed that at Vincent's words, both Tifa and Barret tensed at his side. "Watched?" Cloud narrowed his eyes, "What do you mean by that?"

They looked at each other and Tifa answered by repeating Yuffie's story about seeing Sephiroth watching them from the rafters at the Gold Saucer. Then, Vincent told his story about Chaos' uncomfortable attitude the moment the two had arrived in Midgard and how Chaos had said Sephiroth had been keeping an eye on Vincent.

"Did Chaos actually see him or did he just feel him?" Cloud asked.

Vincent was quiet for a minute before responding. "He says he saw the man atop the broken bridge when we stepped foot in and appeared here and there sporadically in the distance, watching us."

All of them sat quietly, seemingly pondering the similarity between the two accounts. Then, Cloud broke them all away from their brooding thoughts. "Where are the others?"

"The kids are at the 'funny man's' with Nanaki. Cid flew back to Rocket Town and will fly back if needed," Tifa listed off. "And Yuffie's sleeping upstairs. Babysitting made its toll on her."

Cloud nodded and stood. "Cid being on standby is good. It'll take some time to get here but remind him to look over the ship at least once. Just in case."

The other three nodded. "What should we expect?" It was Barret.

"The unexpected," Cloud said with a small frown. "I have some things to see to. Don't follow me. I mean it."

"At least tell us where you're headed."

He let the idea sink in as he looked at Tifa. She was always saying those things straight into the open air. None of the other guys could ask such questions, except for the occasional times that Yuffie did but he supposed it was easier for the women to ask rather than the men.

"To see Rufus."


	7. End of Eternity VI

_Author's note__: I trust you've all had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday (if you celebrated it)! Mine was a bit crazy with relatives gathering from across the globe. I feel wiped out from all the catching up with the changes in everyone's lives. It felt like someone had been spinning me too many rounds on a carousel! Despite it all, I'm still happier to return to the peace and tranquility of my own home. Please excuse typos and/or errors!_

_Tobiron: Thank you for the incredibly uplifting response! You really put a smile on my face! You flatter my n00b-ness though. ^_^;_

_Constance Truggle: (love your name, very clever!) Thank you as well, for your response. I'm really not a skilled writer (in fact, this is my first fiction ever!) so in the future, if I fail you and anyone else reading this, you have my apologies as I'm a n00b._

_Disclaimer__:_

[ VI ]

There were certain paths that wove Cloud closer to the old Shinra Headquarters but then he'd have to find a detour having been met with dead ends. There were sections of scraps that Fenrir was able to be manipulated over, however, some were simply not laid out as friendly. He was glad he had set out early enough, seeing that now he was like a mouse inside a maze, trying to find a way out of the confusion.

When he finally rolled to a stop at the base of the headquarters, he was met by three armed SOLDIERs. It was an encounter he hadn't anticipated but he wasn't altogether surprised either. Just because Shinra's elite were gone didn't mean their grounds fell under ruin.

"Mr. Strife, we were ordered to unarm you upon your arrival," the man to his left informed, stepping quickly down the stairs.

"I'm not the threat here."

"Orders from the President, sir. No exceptions," the one in the middle reinforced.

Cloud disengaged from Fenrir and eyed the men over. "I'll keep them until we've reached his office," he bargained.

The SOLDIERs looked at one another and the last man shrugged. "He didn't say 'arrival' where so I guess that works."

The middle man's lip twitched. "You'll get us all fired."

"Relax. This is sir Cloud Strife. He's a good guy." The third man again.

If Cloud hadn't been in so many odd situations all his life, he'd have keeled over from the kind words of the SOLDIER who seemed the most amicable and had spoken up against unfair judgment laid upon him at first sight. Maybe the man was just simply more informed of the many occurrences of the Shinra Electric Company. Or maybe he had served longer and was privy to a larger network of information.

"I don't care who he is," the second man retaliated, "I'm not losing my paycheck over something this small." He turned his attention to Cloud again. "Weapons, sir."

Cloud glanced from one man to the next. One was inching out of the disagreement, the other was intent on following orders and the last was nonchalant about obeying the President's command. "We're growing old watching you two fight over this. Let's go."

He stuffed the keys to his bike in one of his pockets and ushered the men into the building. The weakest of the three seemed hesitant about the turning of the tables with Cloud having become the one in charge, nevertheless, he led the way like a loyal puppy who was eager to please.

Most of the interior had been redone and much of the places in the entrance lobby looked familiar. The experiences he had while escaping from this very building years ago, briefly crossed his mind. Aeris was still alive then, and like now, Sephiroth was only a faraway threat. Silver doors dinged and opened into a glass look-out lift. He had unpleasant memories of those re-done elevators as well. In fact, he was sure ninety-nine percent of his dealings with Shinra were bad.

As they took the never-ending escalated ride to the 70th floor, Cloud wondered if indeed it was a bad idea to allow his weapons to be removed once they arrived. The skepticism came from the knowledge that Rufus was not a trustworthy man. The elevator finally ringed, signally the end of their trip. Before Cloud even stepped out, the SOLDIERs each held out a hand, demanding wordlessly for his weapons. "We know who you are and understand that you can easily dismantle us so just cooperate and we can all have a nice day," the previous rule-upholder said with tightened lips.

They were right. He could easily cause a scene and risk the entire plan and be jailed without it having any worth, or he could take it at face value knowing that if things go wrong, sooner or later, his friends would come for him. It wasn't as if he had planned on causing an uproar. He had a feeling though, that Rufus may not actually want to harm him and really did have information. He also knew that if Rufus had something of value, Rufus was not going to give it up without a price tag. Money meant power and power meant fear.

Cloud unholstered First Ken and it rested across the three SOLDIER's awaiting hands. The men reacted to the weight of his base sword. He didn't know if they had expected it to be heavier or lighter than what fell in their grasps but he knew they were surprised by something. The other six pieces were still stored on Fenrir so if things went awry and started hitting the fan, at least he'd still have the rest of his weapon to keep him company.

Satisfied, the SOLDIERs led him into a large, once opened area, now encased in what Cloud guessed to be bullet-proof glass. Perhaps the late President should've thought of that but it may not have made any difference either. The glass probably wouldn't have saved him from being skewered regardless. Behind the flamboyantly huge desk, sat Rufus with his fingers clasped. He looked like a studious child eager to learn. Or a man trying to impose his importance to his audience, he thought darkly. To the right side of the Rufus-encased glass cube, Cloud locked eyes with Tseng and Elena standing still as statues. Having the two Turks on the outside gave the false impression that inside the cage was a safer bet. If Rufus tried anything suspicious, at least it appeared that there'd only be so far that he or the other blond could go.

"There you are, Cloud. I'm overjoyed to see you." Rufus smiled when he saw his special guest arrive. This time, the smile did reach his eyes and they flickered excitedly.

The glass doors to Rufus slid open after an audible beep. Cloud stepped in and the door beeped shut, trapping him with the man. Rufus smiled again and motioned to a set of expensive seats before his oversized desk. "Have a seat."

"No thank you. I'll stand."

"How rude. You're my special guest, you should please me a little."

"I'm not here to please you," Cloud retorted.

Rufus' lips curved up pleasingly at Cloud's stubbornness. "You should, as that's what I really want."

"What did you want to show me?" Cloud countered, brushing off Rufus' suspicious behavior.

Rufus raked a strand of blond bangs back and pointed to where Tseng and Elena stood. They both turned their backs to them and Tseng pressed a controller Cloud hadn't noticed Tseng was holding. A large projecting screen lowered from the high ceiling and a silent video began to play. Cloud immediately recognized the interiors of the Gold Saucer. The video rolled for several seconds before Tseng paused it. A clear figure was seen in the upper right hand corner walking amongst the freshly slaughtered.

"Correct," Rufus answered the unspoken question in Cloud's mind. "Notice the attire and weapon." He the waved at Tseng to continue.

Another clip from a different area played and then paused. This time the figure was directly in the middle of the screen but had crossed the path of the camera in such a high speed that even with the video stilled, the silhouette was still a blur. Despite that, it was hard to deny that the man greatly resembled Sephiroth.

Several different clips went by before Rufus waved it off. He turned his attention to Cloud and Cloud to his. "As you can see, there's ample proof of Sephiroth. I've been questioned about him being unaware of the cameras but I have a strong inkling that it wasn't that he was unaware of the cameras, I think he was simply ignoring them."

For a moment, Cloud stood quietly. Could the video have been fabricated after the fact? No, he remembered seeing the figure in the videos slaughtering people on camera. He didn't think Shinra would go through that much trouble, deceive, but never something that required far so much effort and then turn around to ask for his assistance. Then again, Rufus was nothing like his late father either. In fact, he had hoped to kill his father in what would seem an accident but that sequence of mishap failed, so when Jenova impaled his father, Rufus' plans fell into place anyway.

Cloud met Rufus' eyes. "What are you implying by showing me those videos?"

"To put it bluntly, we want your collaboration in stopping Sephiroth before he completely returns." Rufus leaned back in his oversized, over-stuffed presidential chair. "Allow me to explain in detail."

A short nod of Cloud's head had Rufus spilling his ideas like liquid over a water wheel.

"You see, when Sephiroth becomes part of the Lifestream, instead of becoming one with the Lifestream, he maintains his own self-awareness. In the time that he is there, he cannot be here. Even the great Sephiroth cannot transcend time, so to speak, however, he can project himself."

"The clones and the remnants..." Cloud trailed off, coming to the realization of where Rufus was headed.

"Exactly. But if we get to him physically before he completely reforms, then fate is in our favor."

"You can't get to the Lifestream without first being dead. And if you're dead, there are no guarantees that you'll be separate from the Lifestream," Cloud reasoned. "You're over-estimating yourself, Rufus."

The President leaned forward. "I didn't say I was going. You are."

At that, Cloud snorted in disbelief. "I've been there before and I'm not volunteering."

"Who would you send in your place then, Cloud?"

"This is your idea, not mine."

Rufus stood slowly from his seat. The deliberate speed was to not incite any sudden reaction from Cloud. "Knowing you in our years of acquaintanceship as well as doing my homework as the President of Shinra, did you not think I'd form a Plan B?"

Cloud waited.

Rufus walked slowly around his desk and toward Cloud. He swept his arms open, then proceeded to walk around Cloud's back. "These glass walls serve a specific purpose. If I can't go to where he is, I need him to come to me."

Cloud didn't bother to turn around. Normally, he would never show his back to the enemy. He soon realized that he should've remained true to that rule. A soft prickle by his ear jolted him from unintended stupor and before Cloud had the chance to react, Rufus slid a warm tongue up his neck. He jabbed his right elbow back at Rufus and Rufus lept gracefully away. When his feet touched the ground, the glass encasement rumbled, then shattered into a million pieces. Cloud's natural reaction was to shield himself with both arms. His quick judgment helped him to leap into the air and out of way of the rain of glass razors. From the aerial distance, Cloud noted the odd direction of the shards. They were flying in Rufus' direction!

With their loyal reflexes, Tseng and Elena both flew in. Elena shielded the three of them by tossing open a heavy fabric before them, halting many pieces of knife-like glass and the two pulled their Boss out of harms way. As the shards fell over the marble floors glittering like diamonds under the artificial lights, the four of them caught the millions of unmistakable reflections of Sephiroth watching them in each individual piece.

Cloud spun around on his heels, studying the large, opened room for signs of the silver-haired enemy to no avail. He couldn't have imagined Sephiroth being reflected in those shards, could he? He turned back to meet the gaze of the Turks and their Boss. Though all remained as poker-faced as he did, he knew he wasn't the only witness to that display.

"Oops. He's not very fond of me," Rufus said casually from across the room. Pieces of glass laid around his feet. In fact, the majority of the broken glasses were in their general direction as if a strong wind had blown the shards that way.

"Bring in some first aid, Elena," he continued, brushing down his white coat.

Cloud noticed a few minor cuts on the Turks' suits but that was all. The blanket-like sheet Elena had tossed, laid dormant, pierced and stabbed with glass between both parties. Elena briefly stepped out of Cloud's peripheral vision and returned with a white first aid kit, headed directly toward Cloud. He was a little perplexed as to why she was handing it to him when he felt fine.

As if reading the confusion in his eyes, Elena explained. "There are two scratches on your cheek. Do you mind?"

Cloud shook his head. "I'm fine," and backed away. "You should see if Tseng or Rufus have any injuries first."

Elena bowed and turned in her heels, grass crackling under her steps.

Rufus was concentrated on Cloud as Cloud studied the room. He couldn't help but lick his lips. Cloud tasted like utopia on his excited tongue and he conjured images of pinning the stoic blond down, ripping the clothes off that lean, fit body so he could run his hands over those tightly muscled abs hidden under the black shirt that teased him with the small exposure of Cloud's chest at the top. The burning urge to see and feel the stubborn Cloud writhing and panting, making lovely, sexual whimpers made Rufus' lower half throb. He snorted amusingly. If he wanted something, he was going to have it, no matter the means, especially since he had been quietly lusting after the blond hero from afar for too many years. Business always came first but this time, Cloud was falling into his hands and he was going to make sure he gets to Cloud before Sephiroth ruined his plans.


	8. End of Eternity VII

_Author's note: I forgot to point out a mistake. Constance Truggle had corrected me about Midgard vs Midgar. Oops! Sorry _! I'll try to correct that from here on out but if I miss some, forgive me! Please excuse any grammatical/spelling errors you come across._

_Constance Truggle: You are right! Poor Rufus… what is he thinking? Was he even thinking?_

_Tobiron: Thank you for always leaving me a comment! Your replies always make me smile!_

_Voyse: Thank you as well! I hope to keep providing you with that warm and tingly feeling… wait… that didn't sound right…_

_Skiestrife: Thank you! Your words of appraisal are highly appreciated and feeds the fire within me to keep on keepin' on!_

…_and to everyone else, thank you for reading! Now, on with the circus!_

_Disclaimer: Remialcsid!_

[ VII ]

"Tomorrow, same time. I need you here to confirm my theories," Rufus instructed as a crew of SOLDIERs went about sweeping up the glass strewn office.

The Turks and their Boss, along with Cloud had taken a back seat to the mess as spectators to the manual labor. Tseng had his eyes glued to one of the SOLDIERs that was having a hard time controlling the direction of the broom. Instead of sweeping the shards toward the dustbin, he seemed to be scattering the pieces clumsily as though he'd never held a broom in his life and didn't quite contain the knowledge of how to properly sweep.

"Guess that makes you a scientist now, huh?" Cloud muttered from beside Rufus.

Rufus cocked his head a quarter to peer in on Cloud, then allowed his gaze to roam to his lips. Those sensually thin lips of his were so inexplicably sexy but only uttered annoying retorts. It didn't make a difference, he thought, he had always loved a feisty bottom. He enjoyed torturing those kinds and making them beg him for mercy. It always felt wonderful to have them inflate his sense of superiority. Why else would overpowering the weak with fear sate his thirst? He loved being dominant and seeing others suffer before his feet.

Cloud turned in time and caught Rufus with that odd appraisal again - the one that had always made him a little unsure and a bit uncomfortable. "What's your theory?" Cloud resumed when Rufus didn't answer his previous sarcasm.

"You'll get the answer once we achieve success." He looked over at the three SOLDIERs that had brought Cloud in. "Escort the man back."

"Yessir!" All three saluted and Cloud stepped down from an elevated platform.

Rufus had deliberately avoided a direct answer and though Cloud wanted a straight-forward response, he wasn't in the mood to play around with Rufus' word games. He felt like this had all been a failed meeting and he hadn't gained a single thing from it. Far from the fact, he felt it had wasted his time – time he could have put to better use. Just as he was led to the elevator doors, Cloud stopped. The three SOLDIERs halted alongside with him. He turned back around to face the Shira Boss and his Turks.

"What happened with the Gold Saucer?"

Rufus, along with Tseng and Elena were headed in the opposite direction. The trio faced Cloud. "It's been taken care of," Tseng replied with a small bow.

Understanding that he wouldn't get anywhere else with further interrogations, Cloud obediently returned to Fenrir. He sighed loudly as he took off. Too much evidence was pointed at Sephiroth returning and no one had been able to solve a thing. Thousands died at the Saucer, Terra and Sora were senselessly slaughtered and thousands more would be at stake if Cloud didn't figure out how to stop Sephiroth from returning. Deep down inside, he was hesitant. Part of him wasn't sure he had the fire in him to fend off the ex-General and buried even deeper still, he knew Sephiroth had far grander plans than to parasitically use The Planet as a vessel to sail the unknown and leech from other possible forms of life that the (probably) finite space held.

How could he stop something that kept barreling forward at full strength? It was like a train on an endless fuel tank and no brakes, running at full speed. All he had accomplished was attempted to slow it down and if he should forget to keep his feet planted, he'd be swept away on the ride. Worse even, he'd be overcome by the aggressor and fall into a horrible demise. All those times, he hadn't been able to stop the train known as Sephiroth and if he didn't find some way, he may be joining the rest of the departed in the Lifestream.

The lights were still on in the closed bar so Cloud knew that Tifa must've been awaiting his return. As thought, she greeted him from the kitchen doorway after he'd unlocked and went in. She was already changed into a deep, royal blue nightgown that resembled a tame empire dress with shoulder straps, and dark slippers.

"Welcome home, Cloud. Are you hungry? I made some spaghetti earlier."

"Yeah, I'll eat some after I take a shower," he nodded.

Tifa smiled faintly and Cloud disappeared from view. She heard him trudge up the stairs and turn to his room where he'd grab his towels and then head for the bathroom. She hadn't miss the deep thought on Cloud's face or the small cuts on his right cheek the moment he had walked in. At times like those, her heart wrenched at the lonesome look in his downcast eyes and the weariness of his posture. She wanted to wrap her arms around his tired frame and hold him close to reassure both him and herself that things would be okay some time soon. How she wished she could be more of a confidant to his worries! As much as she would like to, she knew Cloud's boundaries and she had her self-restraints. She gave him his spaces and remained ever patient to his ways and when Cloud needed her, he would come to her. She would accept his thoughts with a kind heart to soothe the rejections within his own self. She had done so before and will do so again. Together, the two of them could solve the errors in their lives and with the rest of their friends, they'd hold onto each other, offering strength when it's needed.

The spaghetti was nice and warmly re-heated when Cloud stepped back into the kitchen with his regular black pajamas, startling Tifa who had been lost in deep thought. She smiled gently and moved to serve him a plate of delicious noodles.

Cloud thanked her when she set it down and began to swirl his fork around, stuffing a large roll into his mouth. It tasted heavenly! The thought of delicious food redirected his thoughts elsewhere – it drifted to Terra's cooking and he unconsciously stopped chewing. A meatball shifted off the top into a lower pile of noodles as Cloud stared absently. Tifa noticed the behavior and cleared her throat softly to announce herself.

"Did it go well?" she inquired, referring to the meeting with Rufus.

Cloud resumed his chewing and nodded. "It was fine. I'm going back tomorrow though." He twirled his fork, trapping the spaghetti between the spoon.

"What's Rufus have going on?" Tifa propped an elbow on the table, probing further into the information the blond was holding.

"He has a supposed theory and wants me to collaborate with him in hopes of stopping Sephiroth before Sephiroth gains full substance." Cloud took a huge bite.

Tifa looked away thoughtfully. "I wonder what kind of theory he'd have?" It was a rhetorical question. She knew Cloud wouldn't divulge any specific details even if he knew every bit of it, however she couldn't help but wonder aloud. It also made her feel better to verbalize the question.

"I'll find out tomorrow, I guess."

Tifa didn't reply to that, only nodded. She returned to the many subjects swimming in her head. The quietness that followed gave Cloud the peace required to finish his late meal. As he stood from the chair, Tifa reached over to clear the table but knowing her intentions, Cloud denied her by gently pushing her outstretched hands away. "It's late. You go on to bed. The least I can do is clean up."

She obliged with a nod and thanked him but before she took her leave, Tifa orated the thought in her mind. "Maybe you should take someone with you tomorrow."

He placed the old china plate into the sink and ran the faucet with faint acknowledgment of the question. He didn't think it was entirely necessary, so although greatly appreciated, he placed Tifa's goodwill on the back of his mind. He already knew that if he told one of the other guys, the whole team would end up going with him and he didn't want that.

Cloud finished drying his plate and headed up the creaky stairs. He paused by Denzel's empty room, realizing that the boy was over at Barret's. He continued to his room and clicked the door softly behind him. The lights in his room remained off; the waning full moon was ample light through the window. He shivered as he grabbed a dark colored sweater from the closet to his right and pulled it over his pajamas. Tomorrow morning, he'd head out to purchase some materials to insulate his room before his meeting with Rufus. He climbed into bed and drew the covers up to his ears, turning onto his right to stare at the bare window.

"Genesis Rhapsodos," he whispered. He could see his breath in front of him as he recalled fragmented memories of the man. No, he had been chasing Genesis with Zack when he was still a SOLDIER. What happened to Genesis? He tried searching his memories but came up blank as sleep overcame his thoughts.

Cloud blinked at the morning ceiling. He had fallen asleep and woken up without having Sephiroth or his past haunting his dreams. In fact, he didn't even dream! He slept and he woke, that was all. He felt refreshed as if all that had happened were nothing but a long nightmare and here was the reality he had been enjoying the last two years. This must've been what Vincent was feeling while he laid in that coffin for years, he imagined.

He slipped out of bed and stretched his back. It was awfully sore and he frowned. Summing it up as having slept in an awkward position, Cloud nonchalantly exited his room with his face towel that usually hung on a baby blue hanger in his half opened closet. One of his sweaters laid carelessly on the floor by the door and he uncharacteristically shoved the sweater aside with his bare foot. It was something he'll take care of when he returned to change his clothes.

As he swung open his door, the smell of breakfast didn't greet him but it was fine because he felt rejuvenated!

He turned on the sink faucet and soaked his face towel in the warming water. As it turned to a scalding hot, Cloud pulled back and wrung out the towel, laying it over his face. The steaming hot towel felt great and he smiled into the relaxation it gave.

"Good morning, Cloud."

Cloud jumped from the unexpected sound and dropped the towel from his face, fumbling to catch it. Tifa stood in the doorway with an amused expression. "Good morning," he replied, scratching the back of his neck.

Tifa's eyes followed his hand and lingered at his neck for a second too uncomfortably for him before she instantly returned her attention back to his face again. "We had breakfast at Barret's and I brought some back for you. They're in the fridge."

"Thank you."

She was about to turn when she stopped. "Have you thought about what I said last night?"

Cloud searched his thoughts for the question in hand and quickly found her query from last night. "I have but I think it's best I go alone."

She bowed her head, respecting his wishes and headed back down the stairs with Cloud resuming his morning routine. He was going to eat the breakfast Tifa brought and then head out to the shops and find insulation for his window and door. After that, he was going to see if Cait Sith had arrived or if the sneaky cat had other plans since Tifa made no mention of him.

He finished brushing his teeth and took a glance at his reflection in the medicine cabinet, smiling softly to himself. His brows furrowed. The small cuts on his right cheek were only faintly visible.

"What is this...?"

There was a purplish spot on the left side of his neck just below the shirt collar. He yanked the neck down and found a few more discolorations. His heart sped up anxiously and he grabbed the hems of the shirt to lift over his head and examine the rest of his torso and back, his lean muscles rippling along his skin.

"What is...?"

There was a handful more spots of varying sizes decorating his torso. Cloud suddenly felt sick. He couldn't be facing another disease like the Geo-stigma, could he? No, maybe he was bitten by bed bugs? He had been sleeping in different places the last few days...

He sighed, the good mood slipping away. That meant he was going to have to make an extra stop at a pharmaceutical store for ointment and be more aware regarding his resting spots. He was sure it wasn't from the church though.

Before Cloud made it to the top of the stair case, the delivery phone rang. He darted into the office room that he rarely occupied and picked up the receiver.

"Strife Delivery Service." He wasn't as articulated as Tifa so he kept it short and simple.

"Yo, it's Reno. The Boss has been summoned to an appointment later tonight so he asked to have you come in now."

Cloud didn't like that Rufus was behaving as if Cloud were there for his beck and call. I'm not one of your Turks! Yet, he also needed to know what Rufus was planning. He needed to know what steps he had to take as well. With a purposefully audible and heavy-hearted sigh, Cloud agreed.

"Alright, I'll be there."

He hung up the phone and headed for the refrigerator. Rufus could spare a few minutes while I eat, he smiled as he chewed on his sandwich.

Taking the same path he had taken the night before led Cloud to the headquarters earlier than he had anticipated. It had grown colder so before leaving the bar, he had pulled on a turtle-necked sweater, reminiscent of the old First Class uniform he had received from Hojo's lab, under his black outfit. It also aided in hiding the bruised patches on his neck.

As he pulled up, three uniformed SOLDIERs stood awaiting him. He couldn't tell if they were the same three guys but they didn't behave as if they were and so Cloud acted as if he never met them the day before either - not that it really mattered. Similarly, the men disarmed him at the 70th floor. The large cube of bullet-proof glass had not been replaced, leaving Rufus open to terrorism if it should happen. Tseng and Elena were not present either and the SOLDIERs had gone back into the elevator. Rufus smiled at him from his pedestal and beckoned Cloud closer and into one of the expensive seats. It felt surprisingly comfortable despite its rigid appearance. You get what you pay for.

"Welcome, Cloud. I'm elated to see your handsome face before me again."

"What are you planning today?" Cloud queried, partly from being suspicious of the missing Turks and feeling awkward as Rufus was unguarded. The man was more or less, surrounded by his Turks or watched from a distance by them. Cloud had often wondered how Rufus came to hold sway over such a loyal group of people, however, he had yet to find a reasonable solution.

Rufus smiled again. "I call it 'cause and effect' but in layman's terms, we'll refer to it as an 'experiment'."

"Okay, what kind of experiment are you planning?" Cloud leaned forward, placing both elbows on his thighs and intertwining his fingers. To anyone else, it would appear that Cloud's interest had been sparked but the only two men in the room knew well that it was a meaningless gesture.

"I told you that if I couldn't go to Sephiroth, I'd bring him to me, correct?"

Cloud stared in response.

"Well, there's something that I've been itching to try. Come, follow me."

Rufus stood from behind his desk and headed to his right where a door led to an open-aired balcony. Cloud found it awkward that they were going to the one place where they'd first encountered each other face to face and squared off.Cool air blasted into the large room when Rufus opened the door. Cloud followed Rufus' lead and the two walked to the center of the enormous balcony.

"Ah, standing here reminds me of our first meeting. You were more cocky then," Rufus commented. "And you hurt my Dark Nation."

Cloud shrugged and glanced around. What happened to Dark Nation anyway, he pondered. Were they going to fight on the balcony again? How is that supposed to lure in Sephiroth?

"Let's re-create those juicy moments, shall we?" Rufus announced, withdrawing a shotgun he had concealed under his white coat.

Cloud tsk'd. "Was that why you had my weapons confiscated?"

"Of course not. Cloud, I know you have more than you let on. Now, draw your weapon and fight me."

So, he knew all along that I had left part of First Ken hidden in the holster. Never underestimate Rufus, he reminded himself mentally. It was becoming a chant in his head lately.

"What are you trying at, Rufus?"

Rufus raised his shotgun and aimed the barrel at Cloud's forehead. "3..."

"Rufus!"

"2..."

"Stop this!"

- PING! -

Rufus fired and Cloud deflected the shot with the hollow V-shaped blade of First Ken which he withdrew at the last second. The bullet ricocheted back to Rufus to which he side-stepped it easily. Rufus aimed and fired again. There was no hesitance in his movements. Either he was confident in killing Cloud, or he was confident in Cloud's ability to defend himself.

Cloud avoided the shots by leaping aside and held the blade in front of him in a defensive stance.

"Rufus, this isn't necessary!" Cloud shouted from across the cold, windy balcony. "What are you planning?"

Rufus smirked from the other side. "To get a reaction out of you."

Cloud frowned at the response which served to make Rufus smile disappointedly. "Not quite the expression I wanted to see but I'll surely bring it out."

Cloud's frown deepened. He strengthened his grip on the piece of sword and lept at Rufus, who casually reversed sides with him and shot at Cloud in mid-air. Cloud twisted around and diverted the bullet with a swipe, landing with a hard thud onto the hard floor. He hastily rebounded onto both feet and dashed for Rufus, who fired three times in rapid succession, something a shotgun wasn't made for. It forced Cloud to distractedly ward off the unexpected triple bullets and just as he swung the third shot aside, Rufus slammed the butt of his gun against the back of Cloud's head. Cloud crashed onto the pavement, his hollow blade sliding across to the other end. His exposed arms scraped and burned when he fell. Not taking any chances, Rufus quickly pinned Cloud down with a handful of Cloud's surprisingly soft, blond hair and sat his full weight on the downed man's back. Cloud tried to push him off, which was against Rufus' plans so he smashed the middle of Cloud's back with the gun again. Cloud groaned loudly, spat up a trail of blood onto the floor beneath him and shook his head to ward off the white stars in his eyes.

Rufus licked his lips at the man now at his mercy. "You're gonna enjoy this, Cloud."

Rufus' free hand brushed up the back of Cloud's left thigh and grabbed hold of his butt, kneading it erotically. Cloud's muscles tensed at the unwanted grope and he squirmed angrily, effectively causing Rufus to raise an eyebrow at the involuntary muscular reaction. Rufus definitely enjoyed the response Cloud's body gave. He smirked as he wondered what that tight, well-toned ass would feel like without the tough pants in the way.

"Rufus! What - "

Cloud let out a small yelp as Rufus yanked his head back harshly by the hair. It felt like his hair follicles would be ripped from his scalp and his eyes watered. Rufus bent over, his tongue slid behind Cloud's ear to taste his skin and nip at the lobe surrounding the wolf earring. A cold shiver rose from Cloud's body from the root of his toes. "Rufus!" he growled.

Rufus laughed deeply into the violated ear, feeling his own body grow aroused at the sights and sounds below him. He wanted to rip those pants off and bury himself hard up inside the blond, watch him gasp in sheer pain and listen to him beg desperately for him to stop violating that body. "Wrong tone of voice, Cloud. It needs to be sexier - "

Suddenly, Rufus' grip on Cloud's hair softened and the weight lifted off his back so Cloud flipped around, on guard, to find Rufus standing in the distance with the barrels of his gun pointed high over Cloud. Electricity sparked and jumped over Cloud's skin in various places. The pavement below him seemed alive as the currents crossed and uncrossed between him and Rufus. He quickly stood and noticed that Rufus had plastered a gleeful smile on his face but his eyes were not looking at Cloud - rather, they were looking behind him.

Cloud uprighted himself by kicking off the ground and leaping to the side so that he could escape whatever had Rufus' attention and see Rufus at the same time. What had Rufus smiling was causing a dangerous spark around them. His eyes widened in shock as he landed. The sight before him was almost enough to turn his landing into a disgraceful tumble. On instinct, Cloud jumped away from the undeniable man to his left, closer to the less threatening Rufus on his right.

"Sephi - " Cloud felt the name die in his throat.

Standing before them was the oft described silver-haired, ex-General with his Masamune fully drawn in his gloved left hand. This time, Sephiroth was not a reflection, nor a ghost from a dream. He was standing on the balcony with Rufus and himself, breath fogging before him from the chilly air. Sephiroth's black coat flapped in the wind, his hair danced like silver ribbons and those hypnotic emerald orbs blinked excitedly.


	9. End of Eternity VIII

_Author's note__: It's almost that THAT time of the year! Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Yuletide, Omisoka, Shabe-Yalda and whatever else you celebrate (or nothing if you don't at all)! I'll be gone until after the New Year so here is my gift to you all. Be safe if you're traveling and have a beautiful time with your loved ones!_

_Much love and appreciation towards: haikomochan, dawn chase, cake and Constance Truggle for your kind words of appraisal (if I missed anyone, it was unintentional)! When I see people respond, it empowers me to work harder on bringing you a story that will hopefully keep you entertained and immersed in my world. Thank you!_

_Author's note #2__: I currently have about 5 stories planned out and they are completely unrelated but keep an eye out for them because they may just randomly appear!_

_Author's note #3__: It's really been bugging me how the chapters are inconsistent so once it's all done, I'll re-upload the prologue and the first chapter into one chapter so as to remain constant. For now, ignore it and just go by my actual title numbers._

_Disclaimer__: Once upon a time… the end.  
><em>  
>[ VIII ].<p>

A lone snowflake carried by the cold wind drifted between the three men, floated across the balcony and out of view. Cloud felt his bones turn brittle and weakened at the sight of the enemy. _It can't be!_ He screamed inwardly, eyes wide.

The corners of Sephiroth's lips curved upwards, halfway between a smirk and a sneer with emerald eyes locked onto Rufus' bright blue ones. The two men stared each other down from across the enormous landing without a word. Sephiroth made no signs of having acknowledged Cloud's presence and though it made Cloud feel slightly left out of the equation, he was met with a certain confusion of whether the other man was aware of him at all. He certainly didn't mind that it gave him a short moment to gather himself.

"My apologies, General Sephiroth. Have I disturbed your slumber?" Rufus gave the man a half-hearted smile with his shotgun still raised at arm's length.

Cloud looked to his left. Sephiroth flicked Masamune with his wrist as if flinging off invisible blood and lowered it to his side, the sneer unfaltering from his lips and his green eyes bored a hole through Rufus' skull. "Simple human. Have you not heard the phrase, 'Let sleeping dogs lie'?"

Rufus shrugged carelessly with his weapon still in place. He knew better than to let his guard down. "You don't bite the hand that feeds you."

More electrical currents zapped between all three men. Cloud felt the tiny hairs on his arms stand on end, charged by invisible static that one of them had released across the ground. He glanced back to Rufus who was was clearly unafraid of the threat standing before them and flapped his gums as passionately as ever.

"It doesn't benefit me to play with a brat like you," Sephiroth countered, turning his attention onto Cloud. "You, on the other hand..."

Cloud clenched his fists tightly at his sides when Sephiroth finally addressed him. The sudden attention lurched his heart into thunderous poundings. Sephiroth's sneer turned into an excited, devilish grin that increased the anxiety within his chest. It was the kind of look a cat would give a cornered mouse, if they had legible facial expressions. The pumping of his heart's valves escalated and the sounds gradually took over his senses until all he could hear was his own heart beating like a tribal drum. Behind the rapidly escalating beats, rang a familiar high-pitched screeching that he knew would eventually knock him out of consciousness. He didn't have time for that yet he couldn't stop it from happening.

_Don't... I can't... If I lose consciousness, he might kill Rufus..._

You don't like Rufus all that much.

_But I can't just let him die._

He's half of the world's issues.

_I'm not the one to judge._

You can be.

_Yeah.  
><em>  
>You've always been so easily persuaded. That's what I like about you.<p>

_Who… who are you?  
><em>  
>I'm...<p>

"He's waking up." A female voice.

Cloud felt himself coming into a conscious state as the sounds around him became clearer. His ears picked up the sound of shuffling, a cardiac monitor beeped softly somewhere and then the smell of antiseptics drifted into his nose. The top side of his left hand felt stiff. _An intravenous drip_, he summed up. Perhaps it was the idea of it, but he could've sworn that he tasted saline on his tongue_. I did black out.  
><em>  
>His sense of touch came second to last as his eyes were yet to open. Under his hands was the coarse feel of hospital draw sheets. An unfamiliar male voice spoke from his right side. It was loud, clear yet not a boisterous sound.<p>

"Can you hear me? If you can, make a sound."

Cloud tried to move his lips but they were so parched and dry that only a hoarse, unintelligible grunt escaped.

"He's responsive," the male voice stated. To Cloud's left, someone scribbled onto a clipboard that echoed into the air. "Say your name."

He wanted to say, "Cloud" but something stopped him. Not only did his tongue feel dry and stiff, his parched lips weren't responding either and his jaw felt clamped shut. The only thing he could manage was a force an unintelligible grunt through his parted mouth again.

"Can you open your eyes?"

Cloud attempted to open his eyes but couldn't quite control the muscles over his lids to slide up and make the eyes themselves, roll forward. He felt the ticklish sensation of his long eyelashes batting however, the rest of it remained closed. The man next to him shuffled around and the one with the clipboard to the left walked around the foot of his bed, which he recognized as the female when her heels clacked over the floor.

"Unable to fulfill request," the male explained. More scribbling at the foot of the bed. "More induction required. I'll check back in a few."

"Yessir," the female responded while jotting notes across the board. She clicked over to his right side where the male had walked off. "You're going to feel a little pinch."

Cloud hissed softly at the "little pinch" to the inside of his forearm.

"Be gentle, Elena. Our little hero is a delicate woman."

_Woman?_

Cloud abruptly opened his eyes, blinking quickly. He was still lying on the balcony and Elena was knelt over him with a cotton ball between a pair of tissue forceps, stained with spots of blood. He sat up confused as he did a quick once-over of the area. _I was in a hospital, wasn't I?_

"Something wrong, Cloud?" It was Rufus, who stood a few paces behind Elena, unscathed. There was an all-knowing lilt to his smile.

Instead of answering the question, Cloud looked at the other four Turks scattered around the balcony and the several blue, Shinra uniformed SOLDIERs at the doorway. Their guns were rested on their forearms as if expecting an intruder; an intruder that appeared to be long gone. Elena dabbed at his right arm again with the cotton ball which smelled of isopropyl alcohol. It stung so he looked down at the scraped wound on the outer side of his arm. It looked pretty nasty. _I must've scraped it when Rufus knocked me down_.

"How are you feeling?"

Cloud looked up to see Tseng had stealthily approached Elena's side and was observing from his height. "Fine. Thanks," he bowed his head lightly toward the female and the corners of her lips spread into a pleased smile that was only visible for a split second. With a soft nudge, she'd placed a small gauze over the site and held it in place with surgical dressing tape.

He returned his eyes to Rufus.

"You took quite a nice nap in the middle of a crucial moment, Cloud."

Cloud wanted to ask what happened to Sephiroth. What had happened to him and what had happened to Rufus and Sephiroth's standoff but he kept his mouth shut. Knowing Rufus, he would one way or another, read Cloud's thoughts and word his reply anyway. Rufus had some perception to and Cloud had been shown that time and again.

"He disappeared," Rufus answered with a shrug.

"I figured."

"Come. Let's return to the warmth of my office. It's become a little too chilly for me."

Everyone stood at Rufus' words, even Cloud. He wasn't going to refute the invitation since he too, was feeling the weight of the cold air around his skin. Rude stood closest to the door and went in first as the SOLDIERs parted onto opposite sides of the door, followed by Rufus, Tseng, Elena and himself. Reno was still in the furthest corner of the balcony speaking quietly into his mobile phone.

The welcomed heated air from the office sent shivers down his spine as his skin absorbed the warmth. His goose bumps raised at the turn of temperatures. Cloud wasn't sure where he should stand once inside the office so he halted several steps shy inside of the door and watched the rest of the Turks file into positions on either side of Rufus' as Rufus ascended to his platform-raised desk. When Rufus took his seat, he beckoned for Cloud to recline himself in the chair he'd previously occupied. Cloud reluctantly acquiesced to the man's request.

"I'm a man of my words, Cloud."

Cloud stared, awaiting further explanation.

"You'll have to pardon my... behavior from earlier. For now. Let me explain things to you, Cloud, of how I was sure I'd be able to draw Sephiroth to me."

There was something off about Edge. Cloud couldn't quite distinguish what it was the more he neared the city with Fenrir, but he felt it deep in his bone marrows as though his soul knew the answer. It wasn't due to the events at the Shinra Headquarters that had him feeling anxious. That was only part of it. The other half of it was the vibe that Edge was silently displaying as if it were calling for him. He shivered involuntarily as Rufus' words encircled his insides like a coiled snake.

"It is in our nature to know and have certain attachments to things we deem to be ours, such as the way children are possessive of their favorite toys. They don't like the idea of other children touching what they perceive as 'theirs'."

An involuntary laughter escaped his lips at Rufus' words. "I am not a toy, nor his favorite anything."

"Only you think so, Cloud."

"..."

Rufus leaned back in his chair, drummed his fingers on the armrest and stared at the man across from him. "That's why you're his favorite." And mine, he thought sinfully.

"You're being ridiculous. This and that are two completely different things," Cloud replied, moving to stand. "And don't touch me again."

At the mild threat, Rufus raised an eyebrow, watching Cloud retreat toward the elevators. "He went east."

- KABOOM! -

A Planet-shattering explosion jolted him from his thoughts and he skidded to a screeching halt, yards from Edge's entrance. Horrific screams and cries for help billowed in the air. Cloud's adrenaline shot through the roof with Fenrir's tires screeching ferociously once again as he raced into town.  
><em><br>"He went east."_

_"He went east."_

_"He went east."_

Fury burned in his chest as he saw tall buildings collapsed upon themselves and crashing into large chunks. Citizens gawked at the chaos and scattered about in response to the destruction. Some were running in the direction of the falling debris, unaware of the looming shadows overhead.

_"He went east."  
><em>  
>Fenrir left rubber markings on the cement as Cloud raced to 7th Heaven. <em>They should be fine<em>, he reassured himself. _They're capable of handling themselves!_

Just as he watched a large piece of granite plunge mercilessly from the sky with helpless victims below, a ball of fire crisped the rock and crumpled it into fine ash in mid-air. Cloud slammed on the brakes and rushed over on foot to the scene. People were yelling and crying, screaming and pushing each other out of the way in the midst of all the chaotic noises of crumbling buildings. His eyes enlarged when he saw who had saved the people and was still busy getting people out of harm's way.

"Cloud!"

"Cloud!"

"W..." It was not something to be flabbergasted over at such a critical moment but he was struck speechless.

"We need to protect the people!"

"Daddy says we need to help!"

Nanaki's pups were ushering people away from danger as if they were grown military men. Just as the thought rolled around his mind that he had never imagined the pups as capable, one of them shot a firebolt into the distance, shattering a boulder of concrete.

"Don't just stand there!"

"Do something!"

Their hollering jerked Cloud from his uncharacteristic stupor and momentary awe of the pups. "Sorry! Where's everyone?"

"Somewhere we don't know!"

"Probably rescuing others!"

Cloud nodded once tightly. "You kids, come with me!"

"No! We have to help!"

"Have to h - "

Cloud bent down, hooked his arms around both puppies and ran back to his bike. "Get away from there and find shelter outside of Edge!" he yelled over his shoulders at the cowering humans.

"Stop! We have to save them!" one of the pups yelled over the calamity.

"We are warriors! We have to save them!" shouted the other.

Cloud wrapped both pups tightly in his left arm and kicked Fenrir into gear. He understood the pups but he could never forgive himself if anything happened to them. He wouldn't be able to face Nanaki or the rest of the gang. Hell, he'd rather die than know that he could have prevented such a thing from happening!

The little balls of red fur wriggled around in his arms but Cloud held them securely between his chest and his arm. He could feel one of them nipping at the exposed skin between his sleeve and his glove in an effort to grab his attention but he refused to give in. The pup knew not to actually bite, just irritate him but then, suddenly stopped.

"Cloud!"

"What happened?"

"Nothing!" he answered, swerving around people and debris. He knew the pups saw his injuries.

The rest of the winding trip to the bar was silent between the three. The pups had stopped struggling and instead, sat observantly in his lap, occasionally glancing at his bandages and obviously picking up the scent of blood fused with alcohol under the dressing.

"Nanaki!"

Both pups startled at Cloud's outburst. He swung the bike around to Nanaki who had run over, hearing Cloud call for him. They met in the middle and the pups hopped from Cloud's lap to their father's side.

"It's Sephiroth!" Nanaki reported, placing both front paws before his pups to shield them.

Cloud nodded and looked toward the center of town where most of the chaos was centered. The bar was that way. "Where are the others?"

Nanaki shook his head, the beads on his mane rattled over the noise. "I don't know. We were caught in the middle of this on our way to the stores!"

Cloud looked down to the pups and wanted to lecture Nanaki about placing the pups in danger on their own but he knew better than to teach someone else how to raise their own children. "Where is he?"

"I don't know either! I only caught a glimpse of him headed toward the center of town! Go, Cloud! I'll round up the others!"

Cloud sprung open all six pieces of First Ken that was stored in the bike and slapped the sword together effortlessly. With a short nod, he slipped the fully assembled blade into the holster on his back and spun back around, racing toward the center of chaos. His mind began spinning short of uncontrollable, imagining his friends possibly in the midst of a confrontation with the enemy or worse, brave citizens getting themselves more caught into a battle they had little to do with. There was always one or two 'normal' people who felt they had the balls to attack the offender instead of turning tail and retreating toward safety.

In-between several buildings, Cloud caught a glimmer of hope - flashes of crimson darted further and further into the distance.

_Vincent!_

He cranked up the speed of Fenrir, taking a less populated detour around the debris and alarmed residents, attempting to keep the fleeting red cape within eyesight. Cloud wasn't sure if Vincent was following Sephiroth or if Vincent was rushing to assess damages further in the destruction but for now, the man was his informational target.

Unfortunately, his suspicions were confirmed when he noticed the silent but bright flashes from under Vincent's organic, red cape. _No, he's definitely shooting at something_, something that Cloud couldn't see from where he was currently riding. He quickly rounded over a large pile of granite and hoisted himself and his bike over an equally large pillar, rode it over the blockage and sped down the opened streets to his left. It was then that it occurred to him: the havoc-wreaking path shot straight through the center of town.

The streets became less and less disturbed as he remained left of the main path. Here and there, he saw specks of Vincent fleeting toward the left as well. If timing was on his side, he calculated he'd be able to intercept the man and see for himself what Vincent was pursuing - and hopefully find the source of the destruction.

Fenrir groaned loudly below as Cloud kept his boots depressed all the way to the metal. The bike began to feel as though it couldn't carry Cloud any faster than the thunderous drumming of his heart wanted it to. He tsk'd impatiently, rounded a building and then all of a sudden, he saw Vincent leaping toward him from the distance. Before Cloud could slam on the brakes, a flash of black and silver crossed inches from the front of his bike. He instinctively swerved Fenrir to the right and disengaged, gripping First Ken tightly in his hand as both he and Fenrir skidded across the rough pavement. The bike smashed into a wall somewhere in the distance with a gigantic bang and with heat searing under his soles, he slid to a stop. There was no time or reason to watch his precious bike in those few short seconds as a series of gunfire rang through the air beside him. He took several swift leaps backwards and landed firmly on both feet. From his peripheral vision, he saw Vincent descend to his side and in the distance before him, the graceful, soundless landing of the man he constantly wished had never existed.

Vincent angled himself and stepped his right leg forward with Cerberus's barrels aimed at the silver-haired man's forehead. Across from him and Cloud, Sephiroth settled, the hair on his back fell like a soft cape and Cloud raised his sword defensively.

Cloud knew there was no time for words or the man would slip away to continue his rampage. It was engage in battle now, or risk chasing him.

"Cloud." Sephiroth smirked as he stated the name.

Cloud narrowed his eyes at the man. Just the simple call of his name made Cloud's chest burn. The old scar that Sephiroth had first pierced him with in the Nibelheim Reactor began to slowly throb.

"Don't listen to him, Cloud," Vincent advised from his side and placed a hand on Cloud's upper arm as reassurance. "Don't listen to him."

The right corner of Sephiroth's lips curved upward slyly. "You've been searching so hard for me, Cloud, and here I am."

"I..." Cloud blinked, his eyes wavered unsurely.

- BANG! -

Cloud flinched, startled from the shot Vincent fired which broke him from momentary confusion. Sephiroth twirled around once out of the bullet's way, a few strands of silver flickered onto the floor, grazed by Vincent's assault. He cocked Cerberus again.

"Oh, that was unexpected," Sephiroth taunted with a sneer. He locked eyes with Cloud again, who seemed to gradually become more and more confused in the eyes. "Come to me, Cloud."

Vincent felt Cloud relent a little to his left. The once firm grip on First Ken seemed to have visually softened.

"I know what you're doing, Sephiroth. Don't," Vincent warned. "or I will blow your head off."

Sephiroth looked at the pebbles next to his leather boots and shook his head. The undead ex-Turk was just like those pebbles on the ground - an annoyance, and Vincent could sense that from the man without him saying a word. Sephiroth whipped his gaze back onto Cloud, boring his mako-infused eyes at the blond.

"Cloud."

Cloud stirred uneasily. Something was happening to him and he wasn't sure. It was a familiar feeling yet, unfamiliar at the same time. It was like a long ago memory. He shook his head and released one hand of the hilt of his sword to clutch at the side of his head. Sephiroth was doing something to him - to his mind. There were minute fractions of his brain that wanted to listen to the man and go to him where he felt safest while other parts of his mind were screaming at him to snap out of it. He looked across the way at Sephiroth. Their eyes were locked and at the moment, Cloud found it extremely difficult to tear his eyes away. The relentless pounding of his heart sped up and his breathing became more and more shallow until he began hyperventilating by Vincent's side.

- BANG! BANG! BANG! -

All three barrels fired in succession, breaking the spell between the other two men. Vincent wasted no time in snatching First Ken from Cloud's fumbling hands and hooked his free arm around Cloud's waist, pressing the sword to the other man's body. He shot several more times, forcing Sephiroth to retreat, then wrapped his cape around the both of them, fleeing from battle for the second time in his life. It almost felt like a déjà vu.

The further they were from Sephiroth, the more Cloud's mind cleared. Vincent seemed to understand and stopped atop an untouched building standing amidst the chaos, dropping Cloud to his feet.

_I have to go back... I have to go back!_ Cloud thought angrily. His mind was clearing and what had occurred back there was absolutely uncalled for. _How could I have let that happen?_ He made ready to leave as quickly as he could to catch Vincent off guard but the other man knew, grabbing him roughly by the shoulder.

"Leave it alone," Vincent spoke with conviction. "You're incapable right now."

Cloud furrowed his brows in anger and slapped Vincent's arm off. "Let go, Vincent."

Vincent let go of Cloud's shoulder gruffly and turned away. "You won't accomplish anything with the way you are now."

He knew those were words that Cloud definitely won't want to hear with his inferiority complex but it had to be said. Cloud shuffled behind his back and went quiet for a moment. When Vincent thought Cloud had heeded his words, Cloud leaped into the distance and soon disappeared from view. Vincent whirled around to see the small figure evaporate in the distance and tsk'd. He flapped his red cape away from him and rushed in the opposite direction.


End file.
